I 


GEORGE  VON  LENGERKE  MEYER 
HIS  LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  SERVICES 


7 


GEORGE  VON  LENGERKE 
MEYER; 

HIS   LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  SERVICES 


BY 

M.  A.  DEWOLFE  HOWE 

AUTHOR  OF   "LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF   GEORGE  BANCROFT,"   "LIFE  AND 
LABORS  OF  BISHOP  HARE,"  ETC. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS 


NEW  YORK 

DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 
1920 


COPTRIQHT,   1919,   BT 

DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY,  INC. 


an*  &utnn  &  9ottn    Companp 

BOOK      MANUFACTURERS 
RAHWAY  NEW     JERSEY 


PREFATORY 

This  book,  prepared  at  the  request  of  Mrs.  Meyer, 
is  based  chiefly  upon  a  large  collection  of  papers,  in 
manuscript  and  in  print,  placed  by  her  at  my  disposal. 
To  her  help  at  all  points  of  the  undertaking  I  am  much 
indebted.  I  would  gratefully  acknowledge  also  the 
assistance  received  from  many  friends  of  Mr.  Meyer  in 
public  and  private  life,  through  spoken  and  written 
words  about  him;  from  my  secretary,  Miss  Helen  M. 
Boyer,  and  from  Mr.  George  B.  Ives,  who  has  made 

the  Index. 

M.  A.  DEW.  H. 
Boston,  October,  1919. 


438745 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAQB 

I    BEGINNINGS 1 

II    AFFAIRS  AND   POLITICS   IN   BOSTON  AND 

MASSACHUSETTS         .       .       .       .       .10 

III  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY 30 

IV  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  ....  137 

V  POSTMASTER  GENERAL 352 

VI  SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY  ....  422 

VII     THE  FINAL  YEARS  493 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Photograph  of  George  v.  L.  Meyer  with  Fac 
simile  Autograph      ....      Frontispiece 

PAGE 

George  Augustus  and  Grace  Helen   (Parker) 

Meyer,  Parents  of  George  v.  L.  Meyer  .  4 
The  House  at  Rock  Maple  Farm,  Hamilton  .  16 
Silver  Plate  presented  to  Mr.  Meyer  by  the 

Massachusetts  House  of  Representatives  .  24 
Palazzo  Brancaccio,  American  Embassy  at  Rome, 

1901-1905    .  .....       36 

Mr.  Meyer  and  his  Daughters,  riding  to  the  Hunt, 

on  the  Campagna 50 

View  from  Balcony  of  Palazzo  Brancaccio, 

Santa  Maria  Maggiore  in  the  Distance  .  68 
King  Victor  Emmanuel  III  and  the  American 

Ambassador — San  Rossore,  November,  1903  76 
Group  at  a  Boar  Shoot  with  the  King  and  Queen 

of  Italy,  Castel  Porziano  82 

The  Duchess  of  Aosta 104 

Hunting  on  the  Campagna:  Mr.  Meyer  on  His 

Horse  "Ruby"  .  128 

The  Kleinmichel  Palace,  American  Embassy  at 

St.  Petersburg,  1905-1907  .  144 

Mrs.  George  von  Lengerke  Meyer  .  .  .  170 
Mr.  Meyer  in  Cossack  Costume  ....  210 
The  American  Ambassador  in  his  Droshky,  St. 

Petersburg  .  .  238 
The  Opening  of  the  Duma 280 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PACK 

The  Chateau  Antoniny,  Volhynia  ....  310 

Hunting  Party  at  Antoniny 314 

The  Library  at  Hamilton 328 

The  Malachite  Coq  de  Bruyere  presented  to  Mr. 

Meyer  by  Russian  Friends       ....  336 
A  Day's  Catch  at  the  Restigouche       .        .        .  364 
Autograph  Greeting  and  Drawing  from  Presi 
dent  Roosevelt 378 

The  Roosevelt  Cabinet,  with  Autographs  .        .414 

The  Taft  Cabinet,  with  Autographs     ...  426 
At  the  Harvard  Commencement  of  1911,  when 

Mr.  Meyer  received  the  Degree  of  LL.D.  430 

President  Taft  and  Secretary  Meyer  at  Naval 

Review,  New  York  Harbour  ....  450 
Silver  Galleon  Presented  to  Secretary  Meyer  by 

Officers  of  the  U.  S.  Navy  ....  490 
An  Autograph  Memento  of  the  Kaiser  .  .  .  496 
Wedding  Party  at  Rock  Maple  Farm,  at  the 

Marriage  of  Miss  Julia  Meyer  .  .  .  504 
George  v.  L.  Meyer,  with  his  Son  and  Grandson 

of  the  Same  Name 510 

Last  Photograph  of  Mr.  Meyer,  with  His  Son  at 

Hamilton,  November,  1917   ....     516 


GEORGE  VON  LENGERKE  MEYER 
HIS  LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  SERVICES 


GEORGE  VON  LENGERKE  MEYER: 
HIS  LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  SERVICES 


BEGINNINGS 

(1858-1877) 

THE  biography  of  an  American  in  public  life  is  fre 
quently  the  story  of  one  whose  boyhood  and  younger 
manhood  have  been  engrossed  with  the  surmounting 
of  handicaps.  This  American  has  often  been  born 
poor,  with  narrowly  limited  opportunities  for  educa 
tion  and  that  favourable  start  in  life  which  may  count 
for  much  in  the  opening  years  of  a  man's  career. 
His  conquest  of  these  difficulties  has  served  only  to 
strengthen  his  fibre  for  the  important  work  awaiting 
him. 

The  life  of  the  public  servant  whose  career  is  to  be 
recorded  in  these  pages  did  not  begin  in  this  tradi 
tional  fashion.  But  there  are  other  handicaps  to  be 
overcome  than  those  of  poverty  and  obscurity.  There 
is  a  positive  handicap  of  good  fortune.  It  is  fatally 
easy  for  the  young  American  in  comfortable  circum 
stances,  having  passed  through  school  and  college  on 
terms  involving  a  minimum  of  struggle,  to  drift  into 
the  easy-going  ways  of  a  foreordained  business  or 
profession,  to  feel  that  he  is  fulfilling  his  destiny  if  he 


2 


L.  MEYER       V*s*-**rr 


contents  himself  with  the  mere  increase  of  his  family 
resources,  and  adorns  the  society  into  which  he  was 
born  by  membership  in  the  best  clubs  of  city  and 
country,  by  playing  the  pleasant  game  of  life  indoors 
and  out,  as  a  gentleman  should  —  and  letting  it  go  at 
that.  It  is  the  rare  American  who  does  these  things 
without  leaving  the  others  undone.  Those  other 
things,  when  they  have  to  do  with  the  useful  occu 
pancy  of  public  office,  call  for  character,  purpose,  and 
unwearying  effort.  Indeed,  they  are  obtained  only 
through  the  constant  exercise  of  these  qualities.  The 
story  of  such  a  life  therefore  becomes  typical  of 
American  biography  in  general,  not  through  the  pre 
cise  nature  of  the  struggle  to  be  encountered,  but 
through  the  fact  that  there  must  be  singleness  of  aim, 
self-denying  endeavour,  unremitting  and  unsparing, 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end. 

The  career  of  George  Meyer,  in  the  government  of 
Boston  and  Massachusetts,  in  his  ambassadorships  to 
Italy  and  Russia,  in  the  cabinets  of  Presidents  Roose 
velt  and  Taft,  respectively,  as  Postmaster  General  and 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  reveals  this  type  of  American 
life  with  uncommon  clearness.  He  entered  politics 
and  proceeded  in  his  fruitful  participation  in  public 
life,  not  in  the  spirit  of  the  born  reformer,  but  rather 
in  that  of  the  astute  and  effective  man  of  affairs  who 
wanted  to  make  himself  useful  to  his  community  and 
his  generation,  and  took  a  genuine  satisfaction  in  the 
carrying  out  of  this  purpose.  Like  other  men  of 
essentially  simple  and  normal  natures,  he  made  note 
from  time  to  time  of  phrases  and  mottoes  which 


BEGINNINGS  3 

appeared  to  sum  up  his  philosophy  of  life.  "  The  star 
of  each  man's  destiny  is  in  his  heart,"  was  one  of 
these  watchwords,  suggesting  a  clearly  defined  and 
guiding  purpose  of  his  own  making.  Another  phrase, 
quoted  in  his  diary  during  his  ambassadorship  in  Italy, 
and  pencil-marked  for  emphasis  in  the  margin,  is  still 
more  significant:  "  The  soul's  joy  lies  in  the  doing." 
This,  indeed,  sounds  the  keynote  of  George  Meyer's 
career,  and  seems  to  reveal  the  impulse  that  actuated 
him  throughout  life  —  to  do  things,  and  to  do  them 
well;  for  so  he  did  them,  and,  with  every  occasion 
of  increasing  responsibility  and  opportunity,  did  them 
better  than  any,  excepting  the  very  few  who  knew 
him  best,  believed  that  he  could  do  them.  In  the  eyes 
of  many  his  career  thus  became  a  series  of  surprises. 
In  reality,  it  was  the  direct  result  of  obvious  causes, 
the  chief  of  which  was  his  own  employment,  to  the 
top  of  his  bent,  of  native  gifts  assiduously  cultivated. 
These  gifts  disclosing  themselves  more  and  more 
clearly  as  the  years  went  on,  and  left  in  this  place 
for  the  detailed  disclosure  which  the  following  narra 
tive  will  make  of  them,  carried  him  far.  The  record 
of  his  life  becomes,  therefore,  both  typical  and 
suggestive. 

George  von  Lengerke  Meyer  was  born  in  Boston, 
Massachusetts,  June  24,  1858.  He  was  the  eldest  of 
his  parents'  three  children,  and  the  only  son.  His 
father,  George  Augustus  Meyer,  was  a  Boston  East 
India  merchant  (born  in  New  York  in  1824;  died  in 
Boston,  1899),  the  son  of  a  New  York  merchant  of 


-WN  L.  MEYER       V*s*-**n 


the  same  name.  Both  this  grandfather  and  his  wife, 
Johanna  Catharina  von  Lengerke,  were  natives  of 
Germany.  The  father  of  the  elder  George  Augustus, 
Heinrich  Ernst  Ludwig  Meyer,  was  Oberamtmawn, 
or  chief  magistrate,  of  Westen  in  Hanover.  He  was 
the  father  of  fifteen  children,  and  is  reported  in  family 
tradition  to  have  been  so  stout  that  a  large  section  of 
his  dining-table  had  to  be  cut  away,  so  that  he  could 
take  his  food  in  comfort.  One  son  of  this  vigorous 
parent,  a  great-uncle  of  the  subject  of  these  pages, 
was  Lieutenant  Colonel  F.  L.  Meyer,  of  the  Third 
Hussars,  King's  German  Legion,  who  fought,  and  was 
killed,  under  Bliicher  at  Waterloo. 

This  strong  German  stock,  traced  by  genealogists 
far  beyond  the  eighteenth-century  great-grandfather, 
had  its  counterpart  in  the  pure  New  England  and 
English  descent  of  George  Meyer's  mother,  Grace 
Helen  Parker.  Her  father,  William  Parker,  was  a 
Boston  lawyer,  president  of  the  Boylston  Bank,  and 
a  director  of  the  Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad.  He 
was  at  various  times  a  member  of  the  Boston  City 
Government,  both  in  the  Common  Council  and  in  the 
Board  of  Aldermen.  He  was  a  member  of  that  Board 
when  President  Polk  visited  Boston  in  1847,  and  took 
a  prominent  part  in  the  ceremony  of  his  reception  by 
the  city.  At  another  time,  when  he  was  visiting  Eng 
land,  Daniel  Webster,  Secretary  of  State,  made  him 
the  official  bearer  of  dispatches  to  the  British  Govern 
ment.  His  father,  Samuel  Parker,  born  in  Ports 
mouth,  New  Hampshire,  in  1744,  of  a  family  estab 
lished  there  since  the  previous  century,  embodied 


PH      ^ 
W      W 


o 

fi    W 


1858-1877]  BEGINNINGS  5 

notably  the  close  relations  between  New  and  Old  Eng 
land.  Graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  1763,  he 
was  ordained  a  priest  of  the  Anglican  Church,  in 
London,  eleven  years  later,  and  served  as  rector  of 
Trinity  Church,  Boston,  for  more  than  thirty  years. 
At  the  time  of  the  Revolution  he  was  a  Royalist,  and 
offered  to  resign  his  parish  when  the  other  Royalists 
left  it.  His  people  wished  him  to  remain,  on  the  con 
dition  of  omitting  the  prayer  for  the  King  from  his 
reading  of  the  service  —  which  he  did,  holding  his  post 
as  the  only  Church  of  England  clergyman  in  Massa 
chusetts  throughout  the  Revolution.  In  1804  he  was 
consecrated  Bishop  of  Massachusetts,  but  died  be 
fore  the  end  of  the  year,  less  than  three  months  after 
entering  the  episcopate.  Through  the  forbears  and 
descendants  of  Bishop  Parker,  the  New  England 
family  relationships  of  George  Meyer  were  extensive 
and  representative. 

The  home  of  his  family  in  Boston  was  at  No. 
194,  Beacon  Street.  Like  many  youths  of  his  time 
and  place,  he  was  prepared  at  the  local  private  school 
of  Mr.  G.  W.  C.  Noble  for  Harvard  College,  which 
he  entered,  in  1875,  with  the  Class  of  1879.  The  first 
decade  of  President  Eliot's  long  administration  of 
the  College  ended  with  the  graduation  of  Meyer's 
class,  which  was  among  the  earliest  to  profit  by  that 
extension  of  the  "  elective  system  "  in  which  Harvard, 
under  its  young  President,  had  become  the  pioneer. 
It  must  be  said  frankly  that  the  electives  Meyer  chose 
bore  no  special  relation  to  his  later  interests,  and  that 
his  record  in  scholarship  was  not  one  concerning 


6  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER       V*s8-im 

which  a  biographer  can  play  the  moralist  and  say 
that  it  clearly  foreshadowed  his  maturer  powers 
of  application  and  acquisition;  for  it  did  not.  If 
any  inferences  are  to  be  drawn,  they  must  be  such 
as  go  to  strengthen  the  belief  that  college  stand 
ing  is  after  all  a  fallible  index  of  later  success  in 
affairs. 

The  College,  however,  afforded  him  a  medium  for 
the  lifelong  expression  of  a  loyalty  that  was  charac 
teristic  of  him  in  a  variety  of  relations.  His  class  and 
his  college  club,  the  A.D.,  of  which  he  became 
Graduate  President,  held  his  devotion  always.  To  the 
University  itself,  he  was  the  donor,  only  twelve  years 
after  graduation,  of  the  Meyer  Gate,  erected,  in  1891, 
one  year  after  the  first  of  the  beautiful  entrances  to 
the  College  Yard,  the  Johnston  Gate,  was  built. 
While  Ambassador  to  Italy  and  to  Russia,  in  later 
years,  he  enriched  the  College  Library  with  books 
purchased  in  those  countries.  In  1911  the  University 
conferred  the  degree  of  LL.D.  upon  him.  In  the 
same  year  the  Alumni  elected  him  to  the  Board  of 
Overseers,  of  which  his  fellow-members  chose  him,  in 
1914,  to  be  President.  He  was  thus  of  that  company 
of  "  Harvard  men  "  who  are  so  defined  because  they 
have  not  let  the  University  do  more  for  them  than  they 
have  done  for  it. 

In  the  summer  of  1878,  between  his  junior  and 
senior  years  in  college,  George  Meyer  had  his  first 
experience  of  Europe,  accompanying  his  father  to 
Carlsbad,  seeing  something  of  the  Rhine,  London,  and 
Paris,  and  establishing  the  basis  of  that  knowledge 


BEGINNINGS  7 

of  foreign  lands  and  peoples  which  played  so  impor 
tant  a  part  in  his  completed  education. 

An  illuminating  bit  of  reminiscence  of  his  college 
life  is  preserved  in  a  letter  written  by  another  Har 
vard  man,  of  a  slightly  earlier  class : *  "  The  late 
George  Meyer's  record  of  successful  achievement 
.  .  .  was  no  matter  of  chance  success  or  favouritism, 
but  one  illustrating  in  marked  degree  the  words  of 
Disraeli,  *  The  secret  of  success  is  constancy  to  pur 
pose.'  This  is  well  exemplified  by  an  interesting  inci 
dent  during  his  college  days,  well  remembered  by  a 
near  contemporary  at  Harvard.  In  the  days  when 
house  crews  were  in  vogue  on  the  Charles,  being  a 
dweller  in  Matthews,  young  Meyer  felt  a  desire  to 
row,  and  so,  with  an  innate  will  to  accomplish  his  pur 
pose,  he  presented  himself  at  the  boathouse  as  a  candi 
date  for  the  Matthews  dormitory  crew,  and,  although 
a  light  man  comparatively,  won  a  seat  in  the  boat,  was 
tried  at  stroke,  a  position  in  which  he  made  good,  was 
elected  captain,  and  won  his  race! 

*  This  trait  was  later  dominant  throughout  his 
political  and  diplomatic  career:  'making  good'  in 
whatever  he  set  out  to  accomplish." 

The  mere  fact  recorded  here  is  doubly  significant. 
It  illustrated  Meyer's  early  addiction  to  what  has  been 
well  called  "the  habit  of  victory";  and  it  speaks  for 
a  devotion  to  sports  and  games  of  many  kinds  in  which 
he  maintained  the  interest,  and  the  skill,  of  a  young 

i  F.  S.  Sturgis,  in  the  Harvard  Alumni  Bulletin,  March  28,  1918.  The 
letter  does  not  refer  to  the  fact  that  Meyer  rowed  also  Number  2  in  the 
winning  senior  Class  Crew  of  1879. 


8  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

man  to  the  end  of  his  busy  life.  He  succeeded  as  an 
oarsman  in  college  just  as  in  later  years  he  established 
and  held  his  superiority  in  the  other  outdoor  pursuits 
in  which  he  afterwards  engaged :  horsemanship,  —  driv 
ing,  polo,  and  hunting,  —  tennis,  golf,  fishing,  skating, 
motoring.  When  he  entered  upon  a  sport,  he  took  it 
seriously  enough  to  make  himself  a  master  of  it.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  his  dealings  with  the  pleasures  of 
society,  in  all  their  most  agreeable  forms.  The  long- 
surviving  boy  in  him  —  the  spirit  of  the  college  senior 
and  the  young  man  of  the  world  —  gave  him  a  zest  in 
their  enjoyment  which  men  who  lose  it  earlier  could 
not  always  understand. 

If  he  took  these  things  seriously,  however,  his 
clear,  cool  head  never  failed  him  in  keeping  them 
in  their  true  relation  to  the  other  and  more  seri 
ous  interests  of  his  life.  When  he  played,  he  played 
hard;  when  he  worked,  he  worked  hard.  Those  who 
observed  him  in  one  of  these  pursuits  sometimes  found 
it  difficult  to  believe  that  he  could  be  so  effective  as 
he  was  in  the  other.  The  fact  is  that  he  possessed  a 
native  and  trained  capacity  for  keeping  things  where 
they  belonged,  and  turning  each  separate  concern  of 
his  life  to  the  best  possible  account.  It  was  not  en 
tirely  within  the  comprehension  of  his  native  Boston 
that  the  man  of  society  acquires  a  training  in  tact, 
savoir  faire,  and  other  valuable  qualities  of  immense 
usefulness  in  public  and  political  life.  The  trouble  is 
that  this  really  valuable  technique  of  human  inter 
course  is  too  often  expended  chiefly  upon  trivialities. 
In  devoting  it  both  to  society  and  to  important  affairs, 


i86*-isrn  BEGINNINGS  9 

George  Meyer  illustrated  admirably  its  larger  possi 
bilities. 

Under  the  head  of  "  Beginnings  "  these  observa 
tions  may  seem  premature.  They  are  given  in  this 
place,  however,  for  the  very  reason  that  Meyer's  boy 
hood  and  younger  manhood  did  not  obviously  fore 
shadow  his  later  development.  As  a  matter  of  fact> 
the  seeds  of  it  were  planted  in  his  inheritances  and  his 
earlier  years.  The  years  of  conspicuous  achievement 
may  unfold  themselves  the  more  intelligibly  for  this 
attempt  to  relate  them  to  their  origin. 


II 

AFFAIRS  AND   POLITICS   IN   BOSTON   AND   MASSACHUSETTS 

(1879-1900) 

WHEN  George  Meyer  graduated  from  Harvard  in 
1879,  twenty-one  years  old,  the  Boston  of  which  he 
became  a  citizen  still  retained  many  of  the  character 
istics,  social,  intellectual,  and  commercial,  of  the  dis 
tinctive  place  it  had  been  through  the  middle  years 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  word  "  metropolitan," 
as  applied  to  its  activities  of  many  kinds,  had  not  yet 
taken  the  place  it  was  to  hold  even  before  the  present 
day.  A  vigorous  growth  in  civic  and  industrial  op 
portunity,  rendered  possible,  in  large  measure,  by  the 
astonishing  development  of  electric  transportation 
which  had  come  into  full  swing  by  the  nineties,  was 
at  hand.  It  was  a  fortunate  time  for  a  young  man 
of  energy  and  ambition  to  enter  upon  a  career  of 
commerce  and  politics.  The  tradition  of  the  older 
training  which  had  given  the  Boston  merchants  of  the 
clipper-ship  days  their  supremacy  in  commerce  was 
still  potent.  It  was  the  best  of  training  for  the  con 
structive  work  soon  to  be  done  in  the  establishment  of 
what  is  known  as  modern  business.  After  the  day's 
work  the  young  man  of  gregarious  instincts,  if  for 
tunately  placed  in  the  community,  could  take  recourse 
to  the  pleasures  of  a  comparatively  small  and  homo- 

10 


1819-1900}     AFFAIRS  AND  POLITICS  11 

geneous  society  —  limited,  if  you  will,  in  the  scope 
and  pace  of  its  enjoyments,  when  measured  by  the 
standards  of  a  later  day,  yet  sound  in  its  own  stand 
ards  of  essential  good-breeding.  In  a  word,  the  place 
afforded  an  admirable  training-ground,  both  for  affairs 
and  for  human  intercourse. 

On  quitting  college  George  Meyer  entered  the 
shipping  office  of  Alpheus  H.  Hardy  &  Co.,  a  Bos 
ton  firm  engaged  chiefly  in  Mediterranean  com 
merce.  It  was  still  a  time  when  young  men  entered 
such  houses,  on  nominal  salaries  of  $100  or  $200  a 
year,  simply  to  acquire  a  training  in  business  habits 
and  methods.  This  training,  one  would  suppose, 
might  naturally  have  been  sought  in  the  shipping  office 
of  Linder  &  Meyer,  in  which  his  father  was  estab 
lished—with  East  Indian  and  Russian  trade  —  on 
India  Wharf  from  1848  to  1878,  and  afterwards  at 
89  State  Street,  where  the  business  of  the  firm  is  still 
conducted.  But  the  young  man's  course  in  submitting 
to  a  control  other  than  parental  was  wise.  When  he 
was  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  an  interviewer  asked  him 
why  he  "  hired  out "  to  a  stranger  instead  of  his 
father,  and  received  the  answer,  "  Because  I  feared  I 
might  treat  my  father  as  a  relative  and  not  as  an 
employer."  His  actual  employer,  Mr.  Hardy,  found 
in  him  business  qualities  which  gave  assurance  of  suc 
cess.  A  fellow  employee  bears  witness  to  his  willing 
ness  to  undertake  any  task  committed  to  him,  and, 
without  a  suggestion  of  shirking  disagreeable  details, 
to  do  the  thing  well.  If  his  young  associates  did  not 
foresee  how  far  his  capacities  of  balance,  integrity, 


12  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

good  manners,  and  shrewd  common  sense  would  bear 
him,  it  was  because  they  did  not  fully  realize  what 
these  qualities  can  do  for  their  possessor. 

After  two  years  of  this  apprenticeship  to  the  work 
of  a  merchant,  he  was  admitted,  in  1881,  to  partner 
ship  in  the  firm  of  Linder  &  Meyer,  of  which  he  re 
mained  a  member  for  the  rest  of  his  life.  For  a  few 
years  business  was  his  chief  concern,  and  he  applied 
himself  to  its  interests  with  a  thoroughness  which 
enabled  him,  after  entering  politics,  to  dispatch  it 
quickly  and  accurately,  and  thus  to  command  the  time 
he  required  for  other  pursuits.  In  these  early  years, 
moreover,  he  laid  the  foundations  of  a  well-deserved 
reputation  for  sagacity  and  acumen  in  business  mat 
ters,  causing  his  counsel  to  be  sought  and  valued  in 
enterprises  of  importance  outside  the  affairs  of  his 
own  firm.  While  still  a  young  man,  he  found  himself 
associated  with  many  of  his  elders  in  the  business 
world  in  the  directorship  of  large  corporations.  As 
early  as  1890  he  became  a  director  of  the  Old  Colony 
Trust  Company,  at  its  charter  meeting,  and  in  1894 
was  elected  a  director  of  the  Amoskeag  Manufactur 
ing  Company.  Many  other  directorships  followed  in 
due  course  —  in  the  Ames  Plow  Company,  of  which 
he  was  president,  the  Puget  Sound  Traction,  Light 
and  Power  Company,  the  Fort  Hill  Chemical  Com 
pany,  the  Tampa  Electric  Company,  the  Walter  Baker 
Company,  the  Provident  Institution  for  Savings,  the 
Merchants  National  Bank. 

On  the  day  following  his  twenty-seventh  birthday, 
June  25,  1885,  George  Meyer  was  married  at  Lenox, 


1879-mo]     AFFAIRS  AND  POLITICS  13 

Massachusetts,  to  Marian  Alice  Appleton,  a  daughter 
of  Charles  Hook  and  Isabella  (Mason)  Appleton, 
of  Boston.  Through  a  Cutler  ancestor  both  of 
the  Appletons  and  of  Meyer's  mother,  his  wife 
and  he  were  third  cousins.  The  Bostonian  with 
only  one  Boston  parent,  however,  finds  his  New 
England  relationships  widely  extended  when  his  wife 
is  of  Boston  through  both  lines  of  descent.  So  it 
was  with  George  Meyer.  The  happy  outward  con 
ditions  of  his  marriage  through  all  its  years  stood 
clear  before  the  world.  An  open  book  is  not  the  place 
to  say  more  than  that  the  outward  and  inward  were  in 
singular  harmony;  yet  Meyer's  truly  fortunate  domes 
tic  life,  his  constant,  affectionate  concern  for  his  wife 
and  children,  and  everything  that  affected  their  wel 
fare,  must  not  pass  unmentioned  in  any  comprehen 
sive  account  of  him.  His  daughters  Julia  and  Alice, 
now  married,  respectively,  to  Signor  Giuseppe  Bram- 
billa,  of  Rome,  now  counsellor  of  the  Italian  Embassy 
in  London,  and  Commander  Christopher  Raymond 
Perry  Rodgers,  U.S.N.,  and  his  third  child,  the  son 
who  bears  his  name,  had  always  in  their  father  the 
truest  friend,  counsellor,  and  comrade. 

A  friend  of  George  Meyer's  has  said  that  he  first 
came  into  prominence  on  horseback.  Without  at 
tempting  to  establish  points  of  precise  order  in  time, 
it  may  indeed  be  said  that  his  early  association  with 
the  Myopia  Hunt  Club,  permanently  established  at 
Hamilton  in  Essex  County  in  1891,  ten  years  after 
its  origin  at  Winchester,  near  Boston,  served  to  bring 
his  excellent  horsemanship  to  the  notice  of  that  con- 


14  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

siderable  portion  of  the  public  which  is  interested  in 
manly  sports.  What  the  Meadowbrook  Club  was  to 
New  York  in  the  early  days  of  hunting  and  polo,  the 
Myopia  was  to  Boston;  and  Meyer's  prowess  as  a 
polo-player  before  the  game  had  established  itself 
more  generally  afforded  one  of  the  instances,  to  be 
found  in  the  eighties  and  nineties,  of  young  men  dis 
playing  on  a  field  of  sport  the  qualities  which  made 
good  cavalry  officers  in  the  Civil  War  out  of  men  in 
the  next  older  generation,  and  good  aviators  or 
artillerymen,  let  us  say,  of  the  "  officer  material "  in 
the  war  of  our  own  day.  Spirited  young  men  of  every 
generation  have  a  way  of  proving  themselves  —  often 
to  the  surprise  of  their  elders  —  capable  of  a  dash 
and  daring  to  which  the  life  of  a  city  gives  no  natural 
expression.  George  Meyer  belonged  to  this  class. 

The  Myopia  Hunt  Club,  once  settled  at  Hamilton, 
played  an  important  part  in  making  its  neighbourhood 
in  Essex  County  a  centre  of  agreeable  country  life 
of  a  type  then  little  known  in  America.  Boston  fam 
ilies,  especially  of  the  younger  generation,  were  be 
ginning  to  take  up  farms  in  the  vicinity,  and  to  live 
on  them  for  the  greater  part  of  the  year.  Hunting, 
riding,  and  other  sports  occupied  much  of  their  time. 
Altogether  the  life  bore  a  closer  resemblance  to  that 
of  the  county  families  of  England  than  to  the  cold 
and  scrambling  existence  which  the  early  settlers  of 
Essex  County,  including  in  more  than  one  instance  the 
progenitors  of  the  modern  Hamiltonians,  led  on  the 
same  rolling  farm-lands.  But  the  new  settlers  were 
also  pioneers  in  their  way  —  with  many  advantages  of 


1819-19001      AFFAIRS  AND  POLITICS  15 

circumstance  in  their  favour;  and  it  needed  a  certain 
vigour  and  hardihood  of  nature,  perhaps  of  Puritan 
derivation,  to  meet  the  new  conditions,  without  suc 
cumbing  to  them  and  permitting  the  enjoyment  of  life 
to  defeat  its  own  ends  through  becoming  the  primary 
instead  of  the  secondary  thing. 

George  Meyer  and  his  family  became  a  part,  a  vital 
part,  of  all  this  pleasant  life.  As  early  as  1890  he  ac 
quired  "  Rock  Maple  Farm  "  at  Hamilton,  which  later 
became  his  legal  residence.  His  interest  in  this  country 
place,  the  improvement  of  its  grounds  and  buildings, 
including,  near  the  end  of  his  life,  even  the  removal  of 
the  enlarged  house  upon  it  from  the  bottom  to  the  top 
of  a  hill,  was  an  interest  that  never  failed,  whether  he 
was  at  home,  abroad,  or  in  Washington.  Its  concerns 
were  constantly  cropping  out  in  his  correspondence. 
His  identification  with  the  life  of  the  region  was  typi 
fied  by  his  presidency  of  the  Myopia  Hunt  Club  for  a 
number  of  years,  beginning  with  1893,  the  first  year 
in  which  a  president  was  elected.  Before  1893  he  had 
served  as  treasurer  and  one  of  the  stewards  of  the  club. 
A  member  of  it,  by  the  way,  has  said  that,  when  Meyer 
became  its  president  and  proposed  to  do  various  things 
for  its  betterment,  nobody  thought  he  could  bring  them 
to  pass;  but  he  did.  Wise  rules  of  membership  were 
adopted;  golf  was  introduced  in  1894;  and  the  peace 
was  kept  amongst  intensely  interested  Myopians  of 
divergent  views  on  matters  of  club  policy.  All  this 
was  related  to  Meyer's  principle  of  the  "  joy  in  the 
doing,"  and  his  capacity  to  keep  things  in  their  true 
places.  The  country  gentleman  riding  to  the  hounds, 


16  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

—  with  much  success  and  the  usual  mishaps,  —  playing 
polo,  and  amusing  himself  in  many  other  ways,  culti 
vating  flowers,  acquiring  tapestries  and  rare  china, 
kept  a  perfectly  clear  distinction  in  his  own  mind  be 
tween  the  pursuits  of  vocation  and  avocation  which,  in 
many  persons  situated  as  he  was,  get  themselves  con 
fused.  If  he  had  not,  as  a  sportsman  and  a  lover  of 
the  beauties  and  amenities  of  life,  so  thoroughly  en 
joyed  his  avocations,  they  might  almost  have  been 
regarded  as  deliberate  means  to  an  end,  for  they  did 
Serve  a  constant,  valuable  purpose  of  health  and  re 
freshment.  In  reality,  they  merely  embodied  his  concep 
tion  of  one  portion  of  a  well-rounded  existence,  and  thus 
acquired  a  dignity  of  their  own  in  his  scheme  of  life. 
There  has  been  no  attempt  in  the  preceding  pages 
to  observe  a  strict  chronological  sequence  in  the  affairs 
of  Meyer's  life.  The  aim  has  been  rather  to  establish 
the  background  against  which  the  public  services  with 
which  most  of  this  book  must  deal  are  to  be  followed. 
His  place  as  a  member  of  the  community  to  which  he 
belonged  has  been  set  forth  in  some  detail.  The  posi 
tion  which  he  rapidly  made  for  himself  in  the  conduct 
of  large  business  affairs  has  been  indicated.  At  the 
end  of  about  the  first  decade  of  his  business  life,  how 
ever,  he  began  to  add  to  its  interests  those  of  local 
politics,  beginning  on  the  lowest  rungs  of  the  ladder, 
and  mounting  steadily.  Nearly  an  even  quarter- 
century  passed  between  his  becoming  a  member  of  a 
Republican  ward  committee  in  the  City  of  Boston  and 
his  retirement,  in  1913,  from  the  post  of  Secretary  of 
the  Navy.  It  was  a  political  career  in  which  advance- 


1819-mo}     AFFAIRS  AND  POLITICS  17 

ment  came  —  as  it  must  if  it  is  to  be  justified  —  through 
hard  work,  joined  with  the  double  ability  to  recognize 
an  opportunity  when  it  arose,  and  then  to  make 
effective  use  of  it.  When  the  results  of  such  a  course 
bear  the  outward  appearance  of  good  fortune,  it  is 
well  to  remember  that  this  fortune  is  generally  among 
the  inward  gifts  of  the  man  who  profits  by  it. 

Two  statements  by  George  Meyer  himself  with 
regard  to  the  obligations  and  opportunities  in  politics 
for  the  educated  and  fortunately  placed  young  man 
may  appropriately  be  given  at  this  point.  The  first 
of  them  is  found  in  a  letter,  written  April  12,  1890, 
to  the  Secretary  of  the  Harvard  Class  of  1879,  printed 
in  the  Class  Report  of  1890,  and  reading  as  follows:  - 

A  year  ago  last  fall  I  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Com 
mon  Council  of  the  City  of  Boston  on  the  Republican  ticket. 
This  last  fall  received  a  reelection  as  a  member  of  the  city  gov 
ernment,  and  am  now  serving  my  second  year  in  the  Council. 
Last  year  the  body  was  Democratic  by  a  small  majority,  while 
this  year  it  is  Republican  by  a  good  working  majority.  The 
matter  of  municipal  government  should  receive  special  atten 
tion  from  Harvard  graduates  and  every  citizen  living  in  the 
large  cities.  The  administrations  of  many  of  our  large  cities 
have  acquired  an  unenviable  reputation  in  this  country  and 
abroad.  This  can  only  be  remedied  by  the  better  class  of  citi 
zens  generally  taking  an  active  part  in  their  city  politics,  not 
only  by  voting  on  election  day,  but  by  attending  regularly  the 
primaries  and  caucuses  and  insisting  on  the  proper  candidate 
being  nominated.  Without  attention  to  these  matters,  "  Things 
alter  for  the  worse  spontaneously  unless  altered  for  the  better 
designedly." 


18  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

The  second  statement  appears  in  an  interview  with 
a  representative  of  the  Boston  Herald  while  Meyer 
was  a  member  of  President  Taft's  Cabinet.  When 
asked  his  opinion  of  the  political  chances  for  the  well- 
to-do,  educated  young  American,  he  replied :  — 

Most  assuredly  such  young  men  should  take  part  in 
politics.  Those  youths  who  are  not  dependent  upon  their  own 
efforts  for  their  daily  bread,  and  who  have  had  the  advantages 
of  a  good  education,  are  under  special  obligation  to  the  public. 
It  is  doubly  incumbent  upon  them  to  give  the  best  that  is  in 
them  toward  the  study  and  solution  of  civic  problems,  which 
in  every  generation  and  in  every  twelfth  month  come  to  the 
fore. 

Once  they  demonstrate  an  absolutely  disinterested  motive, 
learn  to  say  "  no  "  to  the  importunities  of  influential  friends, 
and  prove  their  willingness  to  serve  the  people,  the  doors  of 
political  opportunity  are  wide  open  for  them. 

It  is  well  that  this  is  so  in  our  country.  I  saw  it  forcefully 
illustrated  in  Italy.  Influential  young  men  were  a  great  power 
in  bringing  about  the  union  of  Italy.  But  the  Constitution  of 
1848  prescribed  thirty-five  years  as  the  minimum  age  at  which 
one  could  become  a  member  of  Parliament.  The  Italian 
"  patriots  "  were  young  men.  With  this  restriction  of  par 
liamentary  service,  the  young  men,  who  ought  to  have  con 
tinued  in  active  service,  began  to  fall  out. 

Cut  off  the  opportunity  for  wealthy  and  educated  young 
men  to  get  into  politics  and  they  spend  their  time  at  the  clubs. 
They  acquire  habits  of  ease,  after  which  there  is  less  and  less 
inclination,  as  the  years  go  by,  to  assume  public  duties. 

George  Meyer  was  fortunately  "  caught  young  "  in 
politics.  He  began  and  continued  to  the  end,  a  "  regu- 


AFFAIRS  AND  POLITICS  10 

lar  "  Republican.  The  strong  "  Mugwump  "  sentiment 
in  Boston  attending  and  following  the  first  election 
of  President  Cleveland  —  strongest  in  the  very  portion 
of  the  community  to  which  Meyer  belonged  —  did 
not  concern  itself  so  much  with  local  as  with  national 
politics,  and  Republican  candidates  for  office  in  nat 
urally  Republican  wards  and  districts  encountered 
little  serious  opposition.  From  the  time  of  his  mar 
riage,  Meyer's  place  of  residence  in  Boston  was  at  54, 
Beacon  Street,  the  home  of  his  wife's  father  and  grand 
father,  one  of  the  beautiful  pair  of  twin  houses  of 
which  the  historian  Prescott  had  occupied  the  other. 
It  lay  in  what  was  the  Ninth  Ward  through  the  period 
of  Meyer's  active  participation  in  local  politics.  This 
was  sometimes  called  the  "  pepper-and-salt  ward,"  by 
reason  of  its  admixture  of  white  and  coloured  voters, 
the  first  living  on  Beacon  Street  and  the  nearer 
parallel  streets  of  Beacon  Hill,  the  second  then  settled 
in  large  numbers  on  the  northerly  slopes  of  that 
eminence. 

So  diverse  a  constituency  called  for  tactful  repre 
sentation.  "  Kid-gloved  "  and  "  silk-stockinged  "  as 
pirants  for  election  could  not  expect  to  prevail  with 
out  persuading  the  voters  that  they  possessed  other 
qualifications  for  office  than  a  mere  desire  for  it,  on 
whatever  grounds.  In  caucuses,  and  especially  in  the 
service  of  the  ward  committee,  they  were  obliged  to 
prove  themselves.  It  was  necessary  to  demonstrate, 
not  only  your  willingness  to  work  as  a  member  of  the 
party  organization,  but  also  your  standing,  on  ele 
mental  human  terms,  as  a  "good  fellow."  The 


20  GEORGE  TON  L.  MEYER 

spurious  in  these  regards  could  not  long  pass  current. 
Meyer  became  a  member  of  the  Ninth  Ward  Republi 
can  Committee,  won  his  nomination  in  the  autumn  of 
1888  for  the  Common  Council  of  the  City  Government, 
as  then  constituted,  and  was  duly  elected. 

During  his  connection  with  the  Boston  City  Coun 
cil  he  served  on  its  Finance  Committee,  and  the  Com 
mittees  on  Water,  on  Laying  Out  and  Widening 
Streets,  on  the  Charles  River  Bridges.  His  third  elec 
tion,  in  the  autumn  of  1890,  was  to  the  upper  chamber 
of  the  City  Government,  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  on 
which,  for  the  following  year,  he  represented  the 
Fourth  of  the  ten  aldermanic  districts  into  which  Bos 
ton  was  then  divided.  Apart  from  his  other  service 
on  this  Board,  he  was  a  member  of  its  important 
Finance  Committee,  which  was  entrusted  with  making 
virtually  all  appropriations  for  city  expenditures.  To 
all  this  work  at  City  Hall  he  brought  the  sound  busi 
ness  training  which  he  had  been  rapidly  acquiring  in 
State  Street;  and  from  it  he  carried  away  an  expe 
rience  in  parliamentary,  legislative,  and  administrative 
matters  which  was  soon  to  serve  him  well. 

Political  advancement  in  Boston  and  in  Massa 
chusetts,  as  elsewhere,  is  in  general  an  orderly  process, 
passing  from  recognized  step  to  step.  After  the  City 
Government  comes  the  State  Government;  the  State 
House  follows  naturally  upon  City  Hall.  After  his 
year  in  the  Board  of  Aldermen  Meyer  accordingly 
offered  himself  as  a  Republican  candidate  for  Repre 
sentative  in  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts  from 
the  Ninth  District  of  Suffolk  County,  corresponding 


1819-1900}     AFFAIRS  AND  POLITICS  21 

with  Ward  9  of  Boston.  In  the  State  election  of  1891 
he  was  chosen,  by  his  old  constituency,  to  this  office, 
and  was  reflected  in  the  four  successive  years,  serving 
in  the  five  Legislatures  of  1892  to  1896,  inclusive.  In 
his  first  two  years  on  Beacon  Hill  he  appeared  rather 
as  a  faithful  and  efficient  than  as  a  conspicuous  mem 
ber  of  the  House.  He  counted  for  more  in  work  on 
committees  than  in  speaking  from  the  floor.  When 
he  became  a  candidate  for  the  Speakership,  at  the  be 
ginning  of  his  third  term,  even  his  friends  therefore 
were  somewhat  surprised.  As  on  other  occasions,  they 
hardly  believed  he  could  accomplish  his  purpose;  but 
again  he  did,  and  with  a  success  that  may  fairly  be 
called  notable.  His  election  was  brought  to  pass,  not 
by  his  own  possession  of  the  "hail-fellow-well-met" 
qualities  of  the  politician  which  are  supposed  to  make 
for  popularity,  but  rather  through  his  having  estab 
lished  himself  quietly  in  the  friendship  and  confidence 
of  the  more  thoughtful  and  influential  members  of  the 
House,  whose  good  opinion  was  of  positive  weight. 
Once  elected  to  the  guidance  of  a  body  fully  alive  to 
the  fact  that  the  legislation  of  Massachusetts  often 
exerts  an  influence  far  beyond  the  boundaries  of  the 
State,  he  bore  himself  in  a  manner  worthy  of  the  best 
traditions  of  the  Speakership. 

To  Meyer's  own  training  of  himself  in  the  practice 
of  public  speech  must  be  ascribed  a  large  measure  of 
the  success  he  attained  in  this  necessary  function  of  a 
man  in  public  life.  About  ten  years  after  his  occu 
pancy  of  the  Massachusetts  Speakership,  he  wrote 
from  Russia  to  his  son  —  apropos  of  a  debate  at  Gro- 


22  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER       v*">-**oo 

ton  School  for  which  the  boy  was  preparing  himself  — 
a  letter  which  at  this  point  serves  an  autobiographical 
purpose :  — 

I  am  very  much  interested  that  debating  is  going  to  begin, 
and  I  want  to  give  you  a  few  hints  which  I  think  will  be  of 
great  assistance  to  you,  from  my  own  experience.  Unfor 
tunately  I  never  took  it  up  until  I  was  about  thirty,  and  there 
fore  it  came  much  harder.  The  great  secret  is  to  learn  to  be 
able  to  think  on  your  feet;  therefore  in  order  to  bring  about 
that  result  do  not  write  out  what  you  are  going  to  say  and 
commit  it  to  memory,  for  the  following  reasons :  — 

1.  Because  it  defeats   the   main   object   of  thinking   and 
arguing  on  your  feet  while  you  are  talking. 

2.  It  makes  one  nervous,   fearing  one  may  forget  what 
one  has  committed  to  memory,  and  consequently  hampers  one. 

The  main  thing  before  the  debate  takes  place  is  to  read 
up  sufficiently  to  be  familiar  with  the  subject,  take  a  few  notes 
of  the  points  which  you  want  to  make,  then  arrange  them  in 
consecutive  order.  After  you  have  done  that,  sit  down,  or 
stand  up,  either,  and  think  out  in  your  own  mind  what  you 
want  to  say.  If  you  find  some  points  you  don't  express  in  your 
own  mind  clearly,  work  out  that  sentence,  writing  it  if  neces 
sary,  till  you  have  your  point  clearly  made.  But  do  not  try 
to  commit  the  exact  words  to  memory.  After  you  have  done 
this  two  or  three  times,  you  will  be  quite  familiar  with  your 
subject  and  have  gained  confidence  in  yourself,  which  is  the 
great  object  before  you  go  into  a  debate.  Try  to  arrange  the 
arguments  in  your  mind  so  that  one  will  suggest  the  other,  as 
you  are  debating.  I  think  if  you  will  follow  out  these  ideas 
you  will  find  it  not  only  of  assistance  but  most  interesting,  and 
in  time  you  will  be  able  to  enter  into  these  debates  without 
much,  if  any,  nervousness,  if  you  will  follow  out  conscientiously 
my  suggestions. 


1879-1900]      AFFAIRS  AND  POLITICS  23 

At  the  conclusion  of  his  third  and  last  year  in  the 
Speaker's  chair,  his  fellow-members  of  the  Legislature, 
on  June  9,  1896,  passed  a  resolution  of  thanks  to  their 
presiding  officer,  made  and  heard  a  number  of  lauda 
tory  speeches  seconding  the  resolution,  and  presented 
him  with  a  loving  cup.  On  occasions  of  this  nature 
terms  of  eulogy  are  to  be  expected;  but  when  one  of 
the  speakers  is  a  man  whose  words  are  well  known  to 
mean  precisely  what  they  say,  it  is  worth  while  to  heed 
and  recall  them.  The  late  Francis  C.  Lowell,  then 
representing  the  Eleventh  Suffolk  District,  and  after 
wards  Judge  of  the  United  States  Circuit  Court, 
spoke  as  follows :  - 

Between  seven  and  eight  years  ago  I  entered  upon  the 
public  service  at  the  same  time  and  in  the  same  office  with  the 
gentleman  who  has  been  Speaker  of  this  House  for  the  last 
three  years,  in  the  Common  Council  of  the  City  of  Boston.  And 
highly  as  the  friends  of  that  gentleman  then  respected  him,  I 
doubt  if  all  of  them  then  anticipated  the  success  which  he  has 
so  honourably  won  in  public  life.  That  has  been  won,  I  believe, 
in  the  first  place,  by  untiring  patience  and  industry;  in  the 
second  place,  by  perfect  independence  and  wise  judgment  and 
a  firm  hold  to  honest  convictions ;  and,  in  the  third  place,  by  a 
courtesy  to  all  opponents,  which  has  made  any  difference  what 
it  should  be  —  a  difference  of  principles  and  not  a  personal 
matter. 

What  success  these  qualities  have  shown  in  that  Chair, 
every  member  of  this  House  knows  better  than  my  words  can 
say.  The  Speaker  is  the  keeper  of  the  traditions  of  this 
House.  Those  traditions  are  honoured.  But  on  the  floor  of 
this  House  there  are  often  times  of  hard  conflict;  there  are 
often  times  when  men  of  one  side  or  the  other,  in  the  temper 


24  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

of  controversy,  think  but  little  of  those  traditions  and  strain 
every  nerve  for  success.  Proper  decision  can  be  reached  on 
those  occasions  only,  I  believe,  when  that  Chair  is  removed  and 
is  above  the  waves  of  controversy.  That  is  what  we  have  known 
here  this  year.  However  grandly  and  bravely  we  might  fight 
on  the  floor,  we  have  known  that  there  was  an  umpire  in  that 
Chair  whose  decisions  would  in  no  sense  be  affected  by  his 
feelings.  I  attribute  the  good  temper  that  has  invariably 
characterized  the  proceedings  of  this  House  to  the  absolute 
faith  of  its  members  that  they  would  receive  fairness  from  its 
presiding  officer. 

I  believe  that  the  gentleman  who  has  presided  over  us  this 
year  has  maintained  to  the  full  the  honourable  traditions  of  the 
best  of  his  predecessors,  and  has  set  an  example  which  his  suc 
cessors  will  do  well  to  emulate.  I  do  not  know  whether  the 
gentleman  has  political  ambitions  for  the  future.  I  believe 
he  has.  But  far  more  important  than  that,  I  know  this  —  that 
the  Commonwealth  cannot  afford  to  lose  the  future  services 
of  the  man  who  has  served  her  so  well  as  he  has  done  in  the 
past  eight  years. 

In  a  private  letter  another  fellow-worker  with 
Meyer  in  the  Massachusetts  Legislature,  the  Hon.  S. 
W.  McCall,  whose  opportunities  to  observe  him  were 
often  renewed  in  later  years,  has  written:  — 

The  quality  in  his  mind  that  struck  me  was  its  direct 
ness.  He  faced  a  situation  clearly,  and  when  he  had  reached 
a  conclusion  to  his  satisfaction  he  adhered  to  it,  and  was 
usually  able  by  his  clearness  to  make  others  see  the  thing  as 
he  saw  it.  His  manner  helped  him  greatly.  There  was  noth 
ing  over-assertive  or  dictatorial,  but  while  firm,  he  was  per 
suasive  and  willing  to  give  due  weight  to  the  opinions  of  others. 


ii 

as 


1879-1900}     AFFAIRS  AND  POLITICS  25 

I  recall  especially  a  visit  of  his  to  Washington  when  the  cur 
rency  was  in  issue.  He  was  clear-cut  for  gold  and  opposed 
to  any  compromise  upon  it,  and  yet  he  made  no  noise  about  it 
but  convinced  you  that  he  had  an  opinion  and  gave  good 
reasons  for  it. 


The  general  spirit  and  results  of  Meyer's  work  as 
a  member  and  Speaker  of  the  Massachusetts  House  of 
Representatives  are  fairly  indicated  by  these  contempo 
raneous  and  more  recent  expressions.  For  the  details 
of  that  work  it  is  enough  to  give  a  brief  summary  of 
some  of  the  legislation  with  the  advocacy  of  which  he 
was  specially  associated.  As  Chairman  of  the  Com 
mittee  on  Railroads  he  introduced  a  bill  compelling 
railroads  and  quasi-public  corporations  to  offer  stock 
to  their  stockholders  at  a  fair  market  price,  when  the 
stock  was  selling  at  a  high  premium.  He  took  an 
active  part  in  urging  that  municipal  bonds  be  free 
from  taxation,  in  order  that  they  might  be  issued  at  a 
lower  rate  of  interest  and,  therefore,  at  a  saving  to 
the  community.  He  was  instrumental  in  securing 
legislation  which  preserved  the  present  State  House, 
and  was  Chairman  of  the  Commission  which  placed 
the  front  of  the  State  House  in  a  fireproof  condition 
—  a  piece  of  work  the  more  remarkable  for  being 
accomplished  within  the  appropriation  for  it.  He  was 
one  of  the  active  instruments  in  securing  the  passage 
of  the  first  subway  bill.  He  favoured  measures  pro 
viding  for  proper  payment  to  the  municipality  of 
Boston  by  transportation  companies  holding  franchises 
granting  the  use  of  streets.  While  Speaker,  he  secured 


26  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

the  passage  of  a  resolution  directing  him  to  appear 
before  the  House  Committee  on  Rivers  and  Harbours 
in  Washington,  which  resulted  in  an  appropriation  for 
the  establishment  of  a  35-foot  channel  in  Boston  Har 
bour.  In  all  of  these  measures  the  future  —  now  the 
present  —  well-being  of  his  city  and  state  were  inti 
mately  involved.  Many  of  them  had  to  do  with  finan 
cial  and  commercial  improvements,  of  which  the  results 
do  not  clearly  appear  on  the  surface  of  things.  A 
strong  title  to  general  remembrance  in  Boston,  on  the 
other  hand,  lies  in  his  having  borne  an  effective  part  in 
the  preservation  of  the  "  Bulfinch  front  "  of  the  Massa 
chusetts  State  House. 

It  was  when  Meyer  retired  from  the  Massa 
chusetts  Legislature  in  1896  that  he  established  his 
legal  residence  at  Hamilton  in  Essex  County.  For 
the  next  few  years  his  business  interests  occupied  most 
of  his  working  hours.  The  winter  of  1897  he  spent 
abroad  with  his  family,  at  Paris  and  Pau.  In  1898 
Governor  Wolcott  appointed  him  Chairman  of  the 
Massachusetts  Paris  Exposition  Managers.  In  the 
same  year  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  Republican 
National  Committee  for  Massachusetts,  a  position 
which  he  held,  with  special  success  in  the  important 
function  of  raising  campaign  funds,  until  1904.  At 
home  he  served  his  party  as  a  member  of  the  Republi 
can  State  Central  Committee,  and  President  of  the 
Essex  Club,  a  political  organization  in  the  county 
which  had  become  his  home.  In  public  discussions  of 
national  politics  he  appeared  as  a  well-informed  de 
fender  of  the  principles  of  sound  money  and  the  gold 


AFFAIRS  AND  POLITICS  27 

standard  as  against  the  free-silver  agitations  of  Mr. 
Bryan.  In  the  capacity  of  a  private  citizen,  during 
the  final  years  of  the  nineties,  he  was  thus  serving  the 
public  in  a  variety  of  ways  through  the  service  of  the 
party  in  which  he  so  strongly  believed. 

As  a  person  of  consequence  in  the  Republican 
counsels,  he  was  present  at  the  party  convention  at 
Philadelphia  in  1900,  when  Theodore  Roosevelt,  of 
the  class  next  below  his  own  at  Harvard,  was  nomi 
nated  for  the  vice-presidency.  An  authentic  anecdote 
of  that  occasion  should  be  recorded.  The  story  goes 
that  while  Roosevelt,  then  Governor  of  New  York, 
and  reluctant  to  gratify  the  party  managers  in  their 
attempt  to  force  comparative  obscurity  upon  him,  was 
discussing  the  matter  with  Senator  Penrose  and  Gen 
eral  Bingham  of  Pennsylvania,  he  called  George 
Meyer  into  the  conference,  and  asked  his  advice. 
"They're  trying  to  bury  you,"  was  Meyer's  reply; 
"  but,  with  your  luck,  they  won't  be  able  to  do  it, 
and  I  advise  you  to  accept  the  nomination."  The 
sequel  is  history. 

To  Meyer  also,  soon  after  this,  came  the  necessity 
of  making  a  decision  of  important  bearing  upon  his 
subsequent  career.  In  the  early  days  of  his  residence 
in  Essex  County  the  Sixth  Congressional  District  of 
Massachusetts  was  represented  at  Washington  by  the 
late  William  H.  Moody.  Before  the  expiration  of  his 
term  Mr.  Moody  resigned  his  seat  in  order  to  become 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  from  which  post  he  passed  to 
those  of  Attorney-General  and  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  States.  The  Republican  nominee 


28  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

for  the  vacant  place  in  Congress  was  virtually  certain 
of  election.    Meyer  had  dese/ved  so  well  of  his  party, 
and  withal  had  shown  himself  so  competent  a  public 
servant,  that  his  nomination  and  election  as  a  Con 
gressman  from  Massachusetts,  at  a  fitting  opportunity, 
would  have  seemed  a  natural  forward  step,  on  both 
political  and  personal  grounds.    But  another  candidate 
was  in  the  field,  in  the  person  of  the  late  Augustus 
Peabody   Gardner,    also   a   Boston   settler    in   Essex 
County,  whose  service  of  two  terms  in  the  Massachu 
setts  Senate  after  Meyer's  retirement  from  the  Gen 
eral  Court  had  prepared  him  for  political  promotion. 
The  time  had  not  come  for  an  active  contest  for 
this  nomination  when  Meyer  received  from  President 
McKinley,  through  a  message  delivered  in  person  by 
Senator  Hoar  at  Hamilton  in  the  summer  of  1900, 
an  offer  of  the  ambassadorship  to  Italy.     The  latest 
occupant  of  the  post  had  been  a  Massachusetts  man, 
General  William  F.  Draper.     It  had  been  offered  to 
another  son  of  the  same  state,  Governor  Roger  Wol- 
cott,  while  he  was  abroad  for  several  months  beginning 
in  May,  1900;  but  private  considerations  had  led  him 
to  decline  it,  and  his  untimely  death  occurred  before 
the  end  of  the  year.    It  was  a  post  of  high  dignity  and 
trust;  but  in  deciding  to  accept  it,  Meyer  must  have 
asked  himself  seriously  whether  a  seat  in   Congress 
might  not  afford  an  apter  scope  for  his  capacities,  and 
might  therefore  be  worth  awaiting  and  contesting.    A 
public  servant  who  worked  in  close  association  with 
him  some  years  later  has  said  that  Meyer  possessed 
the   best  snap   judgment  of   any   man   he   ever   en- 


1879-1900}     AFFAIRS  AND  POLITICS  29 

countered.  In  the  case  of  the  ambassadorship  first 
thoughts  could  be  followed  by  second;  and  the  upshot 
of  them  was  that  he  accepted  the  President's  offer.  If 
he  had  felt  that  he  had  made  any  mistake,  he  would 
doubtless  have  yielded,  more  than  a  year  later,  to  the 
solicitation  of  political  friends  in  Massachusetts  who 
urged  his  return  from  Italy  to  engage  in  the  actual 
contest  for  the  Congressional  nomination.  His  later 
decision  merely  confirmed  the  earlier,  and  the  event 
abundantly  proved  the  wisdom  of  both. 


Ill 

AMBASSADOR    TO    ITALY 

(1900-1905) 

MEYER'S  appointment  to  the  Italian  ambassadorship 
was  confirmed  by  the  United  States  Senate,  December 
14,  1900.  On  January  5,  1901,  he  sailed  from  New 
York  with  his  wife  and  children,  and  his  sister,  Miss 
Heloise  Meyer,  on  the  Fiirst  Bismarck  for  Italy. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  he  began  a  practice  which 
cannot  be  too  highly  commended  to  men  whose  con 
tacts  with  persons  and  events  of  consequence  are 
such  as  to  give  possible  future  occasion  for  a  record 
of  their  own  lives  —  the  practice  of  keeping  a  diary. 
For  approximately  nine  years  he  did  this,  without  any 
considerable  intermissions.  The  journal  bears  none  of 
the  marks  of  having  been  written  for  any  purpose 
but  that  of  keeping  within  reach  of  the  writer's  mem 
ory  the  experiences  through  which  he  passed.  Many 
of  the  notes  have  to  do  merely  with  passing  occur 
rences,  "  pleasures  and  palaces,"  dinners,  balls,  hunts, 
shooting,  and  fishing  parties,  the  many  activities  of 
society  in  brilliant  courts  and  capitals.  But  there 
are  also  many  passages  relating  to  affairs  of  more 
general  interest,  to  conversations  with  monarchs  and 
other  rulers  of  men,  to  memorable  scenes.  Hastily 
pencilled  and  unrevised  as  they  were,  they  possess  a 

30 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  31 

distinctive  quality  of  faithfulness,  of  authenticity,  so 
that  a  reader  of  them  is  convinced  that  the  actual  facts 
of  the  matter  recorded  are  spread  before  him.  If 
King  or  Kaiser  is  set  down  as  saying  thus  and  so,  one 
rests  assured  that  the  report  is  accurate.  Just  as  one 
recognizes  true  "  local  colour "  in  pieces  of  fiction, 
even  without  any  first-hand  knowledge  of  the  local 
background,  so  the  diaries  of  George  Meyer  justify 
themselves  as  remarkably  authentic  chronicles.  In 
this  and  succeeding  chapters  they  will  therefore  be 
freely  used,  not  only  as  records  of  his  own  life,  but 
for  the  revealing  light  they  throw  upon  personalities 
and  circumstances  which  in  recent  years  have  acquired 
an  historic  importance  quite  unforeseen  when  the  pres 
ent  century  began.  From  time  to  time  the  narrative 
will  be  supplemented  by  letters  to  official  friends  in 
the  American  Government  and  to  members  of  his 
family. 

On  the  night  before  the  Meyers  sailed  from  New 
York,  some  twenty  New  York  and  Boston  friends 
gathered  at  Sherry's  for  a  farewell  dinner  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Meyer,  given  by  Mr.  Charles  F.  McKim,  the 
architect,  whose  wife  had  been  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Meyer. 
Appropriate  words  were  spoken,  and  scenes  of  Rome 
soon  to  become  familiar  to  the  guests  of  honour  were 
shown  by  magic  lantern,  besides  ingenious  views  of 
the  travellers  themselves  on  their  journey.  The  pro 
pitious  start  was  followed  by  a  good  passage,  via  the 
Azores,  Gibraltar,  and  Genoa,  to  Naples.  Here  the 
first  day  on  Italian  soil  ended  unfortunately.  Let  the 
diary  describe  it. 


32  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

"January  18,  1901.  —  Arrived  at  Naples  early. 
We  all  got  on  deck  to  see  the  sun  rise  as  we  sailed  into 
the  Bay  of  Naples,  and  we  were  much  repaid  —  a 
magnificent  sight.  Vesuvius  coughed  and  puffed  out 
smoke  soon  after  the  sun  rose.  Met  by  Iddings,1  First 
Secretary  of  the  Embassy.  Proceed  to  the  Grand 
Hotel  to  lunch.  In  the  afternon  Alice,  Helo,  and  self 
drive  to  Pompeii;  much  impressed  by  the  preservation 
of  the  streets,  houses,  stucco,  etc.  It  kills  time  and 
space,  and  brings  one's  imagination  vividly  back. 

"  111  all  night  —  fish  poison.  Beware  of  fish  in 
Naples!" 

Suffering  grievously  from  ptomaine  poisoning,  the 
new  ambassador  pushed  on  to  Rome  the  next  day,  too 
ill  even  to  speak  to  American  friends  who,  with  the 
entire  staff  of  the  Embassy,  met  him  and  his  family 
at  the  station.  There  were  comfortable  rooms  ready 
for  them  at  the  Grand  Hotel,  and  here,  with  good 
medical  and  nursing  care  immediately  summoned,  Mr. 
Meyer  regained  sufficient  strength  in  little  more  than 
a  week  to  take  his  first  walk  abroad.  Even  before 
this  he  must  have  realized  that  he  was  in  a  friendly 
land,  for  on  January  23  he  had  occasion  to  write  in 
his  diary:  "  Thanked  the  King  for  the  boar  which  he 
had  sent  me  and  had  killed  himself." 

The  formalities  of  presenting  credentials  at  the 
Foreign  Office,  and  seeking  and  obtaining  a  first  audi 
ence  with  the  King,  were  soon  performed.  Two  days 
before  this  audience  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meyer  attended 
the  memorial  service  at  All  Saints  (English)  Church 

iMr.  Lewis  Morris  Iddings. 


19011  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  33 

in  Rome,  marking  the  day,  February  2,  appointed 
for  the  funeral  of  Queen  Victoria;  and  he  wrote  in  his 
diary:  "Lady  Currie,  English  Ambassadress,  thanked 
me  in  person  for  attending,  it  being  my  first  appear 
ance  since  my  illness." 

On  February  4  came  the  audience  with  King  Victor 
Emmanuel  III.  From  the  brief  description  of  it  in 
the  journal  of  that  day  it  is  enough  to  transcribe, 
"  The  King  desired  to  know  if  the  Philippines  were  to 
be  our  Transvaal,  and  how  many  troops  we  had  in 
China;  we  also  talked  about  game  and  the  preservation 
of  forests." 

More  than  two  years  later  Meyer  made  a  record 
in  his  diary  which  deals  with  his  introduction  to  the 
Italian  court  more  adequately  than  the  jottings  at 
the  immediate  time.  Thus  it  runs:  — 

"  May  30, 1903.  —  At  the  request  of  the  State  De 
partment  I  reported  the  formalities  for  a  new  Am 
bassador.  On  my  arrival  in  Rome  (January,  1901) 
I  was  obliged  to  take  an  apartment  in  the  Grand 
Hotel,  as  the  palace  which  had  been  occupied  by  my 
predecessors,  Palazzo  Piombino,  had  been  purchased 
by  the  King  as  a  residence  for  the  Queen  Mother. 

"Having  informed  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Af 
fairs  [Visconti  Venosta]  of  my  arrival,  I  asked 
for  an  audience  with  the  King.  Due  de  Fraginito,  a 
Master  of  Ceremonies,  called  and  notified  me  that  the 
King  would  see  me  the  following  day  at  1  o'clock. 
Two  Royal  state  carriages  with  outriders  in  scarlet 
were  sent  to  convey  me  to  the  Palazzo  Reale  (Quiri- 
nal) ;  in  the  first,  myself  and  Count  Bruschi  Falgari,  a 


34  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Master  of  Ceremonies;  in  the  second,  my  Secretaries. 
Instructed  to  appear  in  uniform  —  for  the  American 
Ambassador,  evening  dress.  The  Ambassador  at  his 
first  reception  by  the  King  is  received  with  formality 
and  full  official  ceremony.  Met  at  the  foot  of  the 
stairs  by  Due  de  Fraginito.  In  the  anticamera  the 
King's  guard  were  drawn  up — -all  over  six  feet.  In 
the  adjoining  grand  salon  the  King's  household,  all 
in  full  uniform,  were  presented  to  me  by  the  prefet 
of  the  palace,  Count  Gianotti,  and  then  I  was  re 
ceived  in  the  throne-room  by  His  Majesty  the  King. 
Before  taking  my  leave  I  presented  my  Secre 
taries. 

"It  is  customary  for  every  Ambassador  to  send 
500  lira  gratuities  to  the  Royal  Stable  and  lackeys 
on  the  occasion  of  the  first  presentation. 

"  England,  Germany,  France,  Russia,  Austria, 
Spain,  and  Turkey  all  have  their  permanent  residencies 
for  the  Embassies.  I  should  have  been  much  incon 
venienced  at  not  having  a  house  at  my  disposal,  but 
for  the  fact  that,  the  Court  being  in  mourning  for 
King  Humbert,  I  was  not  called  upon  to  give  my 
Ricevimento  the  first  season.  It  was  important  to  find 
a  palace  sufficiently  large  for  the  first  formal  reception 
and  in  keeping  with  the  scale  which  had  already  been 
established  by  my  predecessors,  and  at  the  same  time 
to  bear  favourable  comparison  with  the  Embassies  of 
other  countries.  (The  Italians  are  much  affected  by 
appearances.)  Moved  into  Palazzo  Brancaccio  end 
of  April,  1901.  January,  1902,  gave  my  Ricevi 
mento.  The  list  must  first  be  submitted  to  the  prefet 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  35 

of  the  Palace,  as  it  is  a  Court  function  for  which  two 
Masters  of  Ceremony  are  sent  by  the  King  to  present 
the  guests  to  the  Ambassador  and  his  wife.  The  list 
is  confined  to  the  members  of  the  Court  and  such  per 
sons  from  other  countries  as  have  been  presented  at 
Court  in  Rome.  The  ceremony  commences  promptly 
at  10  and  finishes  at  midnight.  There  is  never 
dancing,  but  an  elaborate  supper.  The  officials  and 
diplomats  are  expected  to  appear  in  full  uniform. 
The  entrance  of  the  Palace  and  the  streets  adjoining 
on  the  night  of  the  entertainment  are  guarded  by  a 
detachment  of  Municipal  Guards.  One  guard  is 
always  assigned  to  each  Embassy  day  and  night." 

The  initial  formalities  dispatched,  a  place  of  resi 
dence  suitable  to  the  mode  of  life  which  the  new 
Ambassador  was  prepared  to  adopt  in  Rome  became 
an  immediate  object  of  search.  It  was  found  in  the 
Palazzo  Brancaccio,  a  modern  dwelling  built  by  the 
late  Hickson  Field  of  New  York  for  his  daughter, 
who  had  married  Prince  Brancaccio.  The  first  and 
second  floors  of  this  palace,  somewhat  forbidding  in 
its  exterior  but  beautiful  and  spacious  within,  were 
taken  by  the  Meyers.  The  lack  of  bathrooms  in  such 
a  house  hardly  comported  with  American  ideas  of 
comfort;  yet  the  sense  of  beauty  received  its  compen 
sating  stimulus  in  the  charming  gardens  of  the  Palace, 
with  the  Colosseum  at  their  foot.  Of  these  Mr.  Meyer 
secured  the  use  during  his  tenancy.  Altogether  the 
scene  was  one  which  lent  itself  admirably  to  the  pur 
poses  of  an  Ambassador. 


36  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V901 

It  could  not  be  occupied  at  once,  but  on  May  17, 
1901,  Meyer  wrote  in  his  diary:  "Move  into  Bran- 
caccio  Palace  and  we  are  all  glad  to  leave  the  hotel 
and  get  to  our  own  appartement.  The  garden  is  per* 
fectly  beautiful,  with  green  grass,  fountains,  palm 
trees,  flowering  shrubs,  and  the  most  beautiful  roses 
growing  profusely.  We  dine  in  our  dining-room  and 
enjoy  a  meal  from  our  own  chef."  On  the  next  day 
he  wrote  of  the  interior  arrangements :  "  The  apparte 
ment  is  most  extensive  and  on  a  grand  scale,  with  a 
fine  and  impressive  staircase  which  opens  into  a  hall; 
then  a  small  reception  room,  my  den,  after  that  two 
large  reception  rooms,  with  ball-room  beyond  as 
large  as  Papanti's  in  Boston.  Facing  the  garden  is 
the  dining-room,  larger  red  room,  conservatory,  small 
sitting-room,  small  library,  and  larger  living-room. 
On  floor  above,  eight  bed-rooms." 

The  diary  in  its  completeness  for  the  next  four 
years  would  contribute  many  items  to  the  personal 
records  of  Roman  society  for  this  period.  The  names 
of  many  sharers  in  the  pleasures  of  that  society, 
Italians,  Europeans  of  other  countries,  and  Americans, 
appear  and  reappear  in  its  pages.  Dinners,  bridge, 
and  other  occasions  for  informal  meetings  with  the 
diplomatic  circle  remind  one  that  statecraft  was  always 
in  the  background.  Days  of  work  at  the  Embassy, 
letters  to  Washington,  dealing  with  occasional  inter 
national  questions  arising  between  Italy  and  the 
United  States,  receive  their  share  of  record.  It  was 
rather  as  a  "listening-post"  in  the  European  world 
than  as  a  station  for  difficult  work  in  diplomacy  that 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  37 

Rome  gave  Meyer  his  opportunities  for  valuable 
service  through  the  four  years  of  his  ambassadorship; 
and  in  establishing  many  relations  of  intimacy  and 
friendship,  he  was  constantly  turning  the  pleasant  life 
he  led  to  valuable  purposes  of  his  own  government. 
It  is  thus,  indeed,  that  diplomats  may  often  serve  their 
countries  best  in  times  of  peace  in  the  world.  There 
is  no  better  way  of  coming  to  know  men  than  by 
playing  with  them;  and  if  Meyer  had  not  been  capable 
of  the  all-round  sportsmanship  which  made  him  so 
welcome  a  companion  to  the  spirited  young  men  of 
whom  the  Italian  King  and  his  cousins  were  the  con 
spicuous  types,  the  useful  knowledge  of  Italian  and 
European  affairs  which  he  could  acquire,  as  it  were, 
"  in  passing,"  would  have  been  appreciably  less.  All 
this  appears,  without  intention,  in  the  diary. 

He  had  been  in  Rome  less  than  a  month  when  he 
noted  in  his  journal,  February  14,  his  first  ride  with 
the  hounds,  on  borrowed  mounts,  on  the  Campagna. 
The  next  day  he  bought  a  hunter  of  his  own,  "  Good 
Luck,"  from  the  Master  of  the  Hounds;  and  ten  days 
later  recorded  a  large  turn-out  at  the  hunt:  "Had 
a  good  run;  the  first  big  stone  wall  stopped  the  field; 
six  of  us  got  over  and  I  got  the  brush."  His  enjoy 
ment  of  the  hunt  at  Rome  finds  many  records  in  his 
journal. 

So,  in  the  early  days  of  his  ambassadorship,  did 
his  pleasure  in  the  motor-car  with  which  he  supple 
mented  his  Roman  stable.  Addressing  the  Essex 
Agricultural  Society  at  its  annual  meeting  in  1897, 
he  had  spoken  of  the  automobile  in  terms  which  sound 


38  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V*01 

to-day  archaic,  but  are  good  to  recall  as  a  reminder 
of  the  strangeness  of  the  new  vehicles  hardly  more 
than  twenty  years  ago.  "  I  venture  to  predict,"  he 
said,  "  that  some  of  us  here  to-day  will  live  to  see  the 
time  when  it  will  be  as  rare  to  see  carriages  drawn  by 
horses  as  it  is  at  present  to  see  street  cars  drawn  by 
horses."  That  time  had  not  come  when  Meyer  went 
to  Rome,  and  the  uses  of  the  automobile  were  not 
appreciated  even  by  those  who  might  easily  command 
them.  The  newspaper  interviewer  cited  in  the  previous 
chapter  may  be  quoted  again,  to  relate  the  circum 
stance  of  Mr.  Meyer's  introducing  the  motor-car  to 
the  favour  of  the  Italian  King.  Thus  he  tells  the 
story:  — 

"  At  Cast  el  Porziano  King  Victor  Emmanuel  had 
a  lodge,  whither  he  went  occasionally  to  shoot  wild 
boars.  It  was  only  25  miles  from  Rome  by  a  single- 
track  railroad.  His  Majesty  had  been  starting  on 
these  shooting  trips  very  early  in  the  morning  and 
returning  late  in  the  evening.  Ambassador  Meyer 
suggested  to  him  that  the  automobile  would  be  a  great 
time-saver.  To  demonstrate  it,  he  took  his  royal  host 
to  Castel  Porziano  in  the  new  machine.  They  started 
after  breakfast  and  were  back  in  Rome  at  3.30  o'clock 
the  same  afternoon.  That  settled  it.  The  King  pur 
chased  an  automobile. 

"  They  travelled  so  rapidly  that  the  King's  body 
guards,  who  trailed  along  behind  him  as  do  the  secret 
service  men  behind  the  President,  —  on  bicycles,  — 
were  lost  outside  the  walls  of  Rome,  when  the  auto 
mobile  party  passed  into  the  Campagna. 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  39 

"  '  I  have  broken  the  law  to-day,  Your  Majesty,' 
said  Mr.  Meyer  as  they  whizzed  along  the  wild  coun 
tryside.  *  I  am  carrying  a  revolver.'  He  had  taken 
this  precaution,  because  of  anxiety  about  the  King's 
safety. 

' 1  have  one,  too,'  was  the  royal  rejoinder. 

"  The  King  had  little  fear  of  assassination,  in  spite 
of  his  father's  fate.  But  he  went  armed  on  those 
occasions,  with  the  intention  of  putting  up  a  fight 
against  any  possible  assailant." 

This  episode  is  not  related  in  the  diary,  but  many 
occasions  of  informal  meetings  with  the  King  and 
other  members  of  the  royal  family  are  noted.  There 
are  also  frequent  allusions  to  points  of  international 
intercourse  —  the  arrangements  for  Italian  participa 
tion  in  the  St.  Louis  Exposition,  matters  of  tariff  on 
American  imports,  an  unfortunate  affair  involving  a 
conflict  between  American  sailors  and  the  civil  authori 
ties  of  Venice,  complications  with  Venezuela,  naturali 
zation  questions,  and,  towards  the  end  of  his  Roman 
days,  the  overshadowing  menace  of  the  Russo-Japa 
nese  war.  All  these  matters  are  chronicled  with 
greater  and  less  detail  in  the  diary,  of  which  some  of 
the  most  interesting  pages  deal  also  with  meetings 
with  the  Kaiser,  in  Rome,  Berlin,  and  elsewhere.  But 
it  is  superfluous  to  describe  the  journal  in  detail  while 
certain  of  its  pages  may  themselves  be  used.  The  many 
ensuing  extracts  from  it  will  be  given  without  more  of 
annotation  than  the  necessities  of  understanding  on 
the  part  of  the  reader  seem  to  require. 


40  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

On  May  19  Meyer  saw  Monsignor  O'Connell,  now 
Cardinal  in  Boston,  consecrated  Bishop  of  Portland 
at  St.  John  Lateran.  The  next  day  he  wrote:  — 

"May  20. — Dined  with  MacNutt1 — dinner  given 
to  the  new  Bishop  of  Portland;  also  met  Archbishop 
Chappelle  of  New  Orleans,  who  had  been  for  a  year 
in  the  Philippines.  Had  a  very  interesting  talk  with 
him  on  the  condition  of  affairs  at  Manila  and  in  the 
Islands  generally.  The  reception  was  entirely  of 
'blacks,'  Cardinals,  Monsignors,  Bishops,  and  Arch 
bishops. 

"  May  21.  — 11.15,  audience  with  the  King  of  nearly 
an  hour.  It  is  the  custom  to  ask  for  an  audience  when 
leaving  before  the  Court.2  They  generally  last  15  or  20 
minutes.  He  compared  and  discussed  the  constitu 
tion  of  Italy  and  America,  the  malicious  spirit  of  the 
Italians  in  certain  quarters  against  royalty.  I  called 
attention  to  the  unfortunate  limit  of  age  as  regards 
entering  the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  that  Italy  could 
never  have  a  Pitt  or  Alexander  Hamilton.  The  King 
said  that  his  powers  were  much  less  than  President 
McKinley's.  The  King  gave  me  the  first  cast  of  the 
new  3-lira  piece  with  his  head  and  the  new  stamps  for 
my  boy.  I  am  to  send  His  Majesty  our  new  set  of 
stamps  of  the  Pan-American  Exposition. 

ee  May  23.  —  Archbishop  Chappelle  lunched  with 
me  to-day.  He  has  just  come  from  the  Philippine 
Islands  —  went  there  at  the  request  of  the  President. 
His  views  are  that  the  Tagalog  leaders  should  be  trans- 

1  Francis  A.  MacNutt,  an  American  member  of  the  Papal  household. 

2  Mr.  Meyer  was  about  to  leave  Rome  for  Homburg,  where  he  took 
the  waters,  en  route  to  the  United  States. 


1901}  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  41 

ported  to  Guam,  or  any  other  leader;  the  native  priest 
is  our  worst  enemy;  the  laws  should  be  changed  grad 
ually,  the  friars  friendly  to  Americans  (their  interest 
to  be) .  The  Filipino  not  friendly  to  American  as  yet, 
will  take  time  to  gain  their  confidence.  The  leaders 
are  natural  courtiers,  that  is,  they  lie  and  are  treach 
erous.  Valuable  coal  deposits.  The  Islands  the  key 
to  the  Orient.  At  present,  religious  controversies  to 
be  avoided  for  some  time.  The  Archbishop  had 
muzzled  some,  will  do  all  in  his  power  to  continue  this 
and  has  worked  in  the  interest  of  the  American  policy. 
General  MacArthur  an  able  man  — Taft  a  great 
lawyer,  man  of  ability,  a  Judge  but  not  a  Governor 
—  the  two  professors  theorists,  and  -  -  a  politician, 
but  narrow. 

ff  June  1.  —  We  leave  Palazzo  Brancaccio  with  re 
gret,  as  we  had  become  very  comfortably  settled.  Leave 
on  the  9.30  train  for  Venice.  Count  of  Turin 1  has  the 
adjoining  compartment.  At  Florence  I  was  handed 
a  telegram,  and  at  the  same  moment  one  was  given 
to  Count  of  Turin.  It  was  the  announcement  that 
the  Queen  had  given  birth  to  a  Princess;  she  is  to  be 
called  Yolanda  Margherita." 

This  day  of  travel  was  the  first  of  a  journey  by 
easy  stages  to  Homburg,  with  much  agreeable  sight 
seeing  and  many  encounters  with  friends  by  the  way. 
At  Homburg  Mr.  Meyer  and  his  family  remained 
for  several  weeks,  while  he  took  the  waters.  Thence 
they  proceeded  to  London  for  a  week  of  many  pleas- 

i  Cousin  of  the  King. 


42  GEORGE  YON  L.  MEYER 

ures  with  American  and  English  friends  before  Mr. 
Meyer  himself  sailed  for  America,  July  17.  In  the 
journal  for  the  days  in  London  it  is  interesting  to 
note  a  call  (July  14)  upon  Senator  Lodge  —  then 
chairman  of  the  Senate  Committee  on  the  Philippines 
—  and  "  a  talk  with  him  about  the  Philippines  and 
the  situation  there  as  reported  to  me  by  Archbishop 
Chappelle " ;  and  during  the  passage  to  New  York 
the  entry  for  July  21 :  "  Captain's  night.  Usual  fuss 
and  feathers.  I  am  called  upon  to  speak.  Speech 
well  received.  Toast  to  the  Kaiser  did  not  receive  the 
applause  one  would  have  expected  on  a  German 
steamer,  but  President  McKinley  toast  received  with 
enthusiasm." 

A  stay  of  nearly  two  months  in  America  enabled 
Mr.  Meyer  to  attend  to  many  affairs  of  business,  to 
renew  many  friendships  at  Newport  and  Hamilton, 
and  to  refresh  his  knowledge  of  national  matters.  A 
visit  to  President  McKinley  at  Canton,  described  in 
the  diary,  contributed  to  this  end :  — 

"August  31.  —  Arrive  at  Cleveland  at  8  o'clock. 
Met  at  the  station  by  Colonel  Herrick.  We  breakfast 
at  his  house.  Take  the  11.30  train  for  Canton,  Ohio. 
Arrive  there  at  1.30.  Taken  to  the  [hotel]  by  the 
secretary  of  the  President  and  lunch  with  General 
MacArthur,  just  arrived  from  Manila.  At  3  o'clock 
we  call  upon  President  McKinley,  who  received  us 
with  a  charming  grace  and  hospitality.  Pass  the 
afternoon  with  the  President,  and  am  invited  to  be 
present  while  General  MacArthur  makes  his  report 
on  the  Philippine  Islands.  Most  interesting.  The 


1901}  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  43 

President  invites  General  MacArthur  and  myself  to 
stop  to  dinner.  Spent  a  delightful  evening,  long  to 
be  remembered.  Charmed  by  the  President,  who  is  a 
most  lovable  man.  Impressed  with  General  MacAr 
thur  's  report.  He  has  been  with  the  Army  at  Manila 
for  three  years.  Had  a  better  opinion  of  the  Filipino 
than  I  expected,  and  says  General  Funston's  capture 
of  Aguinaldo  was  a  brave  act  and  required  great 
courage." 

Less  than  a  week  later,  after  busy  days  in  New 
York  and  Boston,  and  a  meeting  of  the  Essex  Club, 
at  which  he  delivered  a  prepared  address,  Meyer,  at 
Hamilton,  wrote  in  his  diary,  September  6:  "At  six 
o'clock  I  hear  that  the  President  has  been  shot 
at  in  Buffalo  at  the  Pan-American  Exposition  — 
a  dastardly  deed.  May  God  spare  his  life! "  On  the 
following  day  he  wrote:  "  The  attempted  assassination 
of  the  President  may  not  turn  out  to  be  fatal;  the 
people  incensed  and  enraged " ;  and  for  the  few  re 
maining  days  of  his  stay  in  America  he  noted  with 
hope  the  favourable  items  of  news  from  the  bedside 
of  the  doomed  McKinley.  On  the  very  day  of  his 
sailing  from  New  York  for  England,  September  11, 
the  diary  reports :  "  President  continues  to  improve. 
We  shall  probably  get  remedial  legislation  as  regards 
anarchists."  Then  follow  brief  notes  of  the  unevent 
ful  passage,  with  this  at  the  end  of  it :  - 

"September  18.  —  At  5  A.M.  the  SS.  Majestic 
reaches  Queenstown.  The  purser  comes  into  my  state 
room  to  wake  me  and  announce  that  the  President  was 
dead!  I  am  terribly  shocked  and  overcome  by  the 


44  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

announcement.  The  week  before  he  was  shot  I  spent 
the  day  and  evening  with  him  at  his  home  in  Canton. 
I  was  charmed  by  the  President,  a  most  lovable  and 
high-minded  man,  with  a  wonderful  grace  of  manner. 
It  seems  very  strange  now  that  I  should  have  called 
his  attention  that  day  to  the  meeting  of  the  anarchists 
on  July  29  in  Paterson,  N.  J.,  to  celebrate  the  assas 
sination  of  King  Humbert,  and  one  speaker  went  so 
far  as  to  wish  there  was  a  Bresci  in  every  country  — 
a  dangerous  sentiment  to  be  allowed  to  be  expressed 
publicly. 

"Arrived  at  Liverpool  at  5  P.M.,  just  as  the 
Germanic  was  sailing  for  New  York.  The  paper  was 
full  of  the  death  of  President  McKinley,  much  Eng 
lish  sympathy  expressed  in  a  touching  manner." 

That  night  Meyer  noted  with  happiness  the  finding 
of  all  his  family  well  in  London,  and  wrote  the  next 
day:  — 

"September  19.  —  Alice  and  I  attend  the  Memo 
rial  Service  at  Westminster  Abbey  for  President  Mc 
Kinley,  a  most  impressive  service.  The  various  Am 
bassadors  and  Ministers  of  the  different  countries  were 
present,  —  Lord  Pembroke  who  represented  the  King, 
now  in  Denmark,  the  American  Ambassador,  Mr. 
Choate,  Lord  Rosebery,  Sir  William  Harcourt,  Lord 
Mount  Stephen,  Lord  Revelstoke,  Lord  Cranborne, 
Lord  Chief  Justice  of  England,  the  various  Bishops, 
Charles  Francis  Adams,  Lord  and  Lady  Pauncefote, 
Henry  L.  Higginson,  and  others.  In  the  evening  we 
dined  quietly  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Choate  at  their 
house,  No.  1,  Carlton  House  Terrace." 


loon  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  45 

The  journey  back  to  Rome  was  broken  by  a  stay 
in  Paris,  where  Meyer  called  upon  King  Leopold  of 
Belgium,  —  "a  fine-looking  old  gentleman  who  goes 
about  in  a  most  democratic  way," — a  shooting  visit 
to  Scotland,  —  which  called  forth  the  suggestive  com 
ment,  "  the  men  know  how  to  live  and  enjoy  life,  but 
the  women  are  not  in  it," — and  stops  on  the  way 
"home"  at  Turin  and  Florence.  The  first  note  in 
Rome,  October  22,  is  one  of  pleasure:  "  Glad  to  have 
the  sunshine  again.  Find  one  grows  very  attached  to 
the  place."  By  degrees,  as  October  drew  to  an  end, 
the  diplomatic  and  other  Roman  circles  reassembled, 
and  the  engrossing  life  of  the  capital  was  taken  up 
anew. 

On  November  23  an  audience  with  the  King, 
"gracious  and  in  good  spirits,  and  grown  stout,"  is 
recorded,  though  without  details  of  the  forty-five  min 
utes'  talk.  There  are  notes  on  the  dissatisfaction  of 
the  Italian  Government  with  the  too  frequent  lynch- 
ings  of  Italians  in  the  Southern  states,  and  the  diffi 
culties  of  comprehending  the  distinction  between  our 
state  and  federal  jurisdiction;  also  the  first  of  many 
references  to  Meyer's  interest  in  the  American  Acad 
emy  at  Rome,  here  shown  in  his  notifying  the  State 
Department  that  he  will  act  as  trustee  ex  officio  for  it. 
A  few  longer  entries  round  out  the  first  year  in  Italy. 

"December  7.  —  At  1  o'clock  to-day  we  arrive  at 
the  Palace  of  the  Quirinal  (Alice  and  myself)  to 
have  our  audience  with  Queen  Elena,  she  having  tele 
phoned  at  11  that  she  had  a  sore  throat  and  de 
sired  Alice  not  to  come  decollete.  The  Queen  was 


46  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

dressed  in  a  lavender  velvet  dress  trimmed  with  fur, 
similar  to  Alice's,  which  was  black  velvet  trimmed  with 
fur,  and  each  had  on  a  pearl  necklace.  The  Queen 
is  handsome,  tall  and  good  figure.  She  asked  Alice 
where  she  came  from.  I  think  the  Queen  thought  I 
had  married  a  German,  as  Alice  is  so  blond.  Queen 
Elena  said  she  was  devoted  to  automobiling  and  en 
joyed  long  journeys,  can  even  take  a  nap.  The  King 
and  Queen  are  living  in  the  Villa  of  the  Palace.  Audi 
ence  lasted  25  minutes. 

"December  19.  —  Dined  this  evening  with  Prince 
and  Princess  Doria  in  the  Doria  Palace.  It  was  here 
that  he  entertained  the  German  Kaiser  in  1893.  The 
Kaiser  in  leaving  said,  '  I  hope  you  will  come  to  Ber 
lin,  but  I  shall  be  unable  to  entertain  you  so  hand 
somely.'  Prince  Doria's  palace  is  full  of  beautiful 
paintings  and  engravings  and  tapestries. 

ff  December  30.  —  Go  to  the  hunt  for  an  hour  only, 
as  Steed *  was  giving  me  a  lunch  so  as  to  meet  Baron 
Sidney  Sonnino,  a  very  interesting  man,  one  of  the 
few  public  men  pointed  to  in  Italy  as  honest,  straight 
forward.  The  other  guests  were  Baron  Tucher.  Bagot, 
Norton,  Professor  Boni,  Count  Juliano.  In  the  eve 
ning  at  9.30,  Alice  and  I  left  Palazzo  Brancaccio  to 
attend  the  Court  reception  given  by  the  King  and 
Queen  of  Italy  to  the  Diplomatic  Corps.  Our  Secre 
taries  followed  in  another  carriage.  On  arriving  at 
the  Quirinal  Palace  the  Life  Guards  of  the  King 
were  drawn  up  in  front  of  the  entrance  inside  the 

iH.  Wickham  Steed,  correspondent  of  the  London  Times,  now  its 
editor. 


19011  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  47 

door,  all  over  6  feet  and  in  red  uniform.  We  as 
sembled,  after  passing  through  several  outer  cham 
bers,  in  a  large  salon  about  80  feet  long  and  50  feet 
high,  when  the  different  Ambassadors  and  legations 
arranged  themselves  according  to  length  of  service  at 
Rome  —  the  Austrian  Ambassador  being  the  dean  of 
the  Ambassadors.  The  King  and  Queen  came  in  at 
10  minutes  after  ten  o'clock,  followed  by  eight  ladies- 
in-waiting  and  two  gentlemen-in-waiting,  Marquis 

Calabrini  and ,  who  moved  her  train  for  her  as 

she  stopped  and  talked  with  each  Ambassador  and 
Ambassadress.  The  King  commenced  with  the  Aus 
trian  and  the  Queen  with  the  Russian  Ambassador, 
and  then  worked  around  the  room  talking  to  each  in 
turn.  The  Queen  looked  very  handsome  in  a  yellow 
dress.  .  .  . 

"  It  was  quite  an  impressive  sight.  .  .  .  At  11.40 
they  left  the  room  as  we  all  bowed,  the  ladies  curtsey 
ing.  Alice  had  a  great  many  compliments  on  having 
the  most  beautiful  dress  and  figure  at  the  Court  on  this 
occasion.  Lady  Currie  said  that  Count  von  Wedel x 
and  the  American  Ambassadress  were  the  most  striking 
people,  with  the  finest  uniform  and  Court  dress,  at 
the  reception.  As  I  heard  it  from  many  sources  the 
next  day,  it  made  me  very  proud  of  my  wife,  the 
American  Ambassadress." 

Early  in  the  new  year  the  official  Ricevimento,  to 
which  reference  has  already  been  made,  was  held  at  the 
Palazzo  Brancaccio.  The  following  passage  touches 
upon  it,  and  an  audience  early  in  the  day :  — 

i  German  Ambassador  at  Rome. 


48  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

"January  4,  1902.  —  Audience  with  the  Queen 
Mother  [Margherita]  at  two  o'clock.  I  went  in  first; 
two  minutes  afterwards  Alice  was  escorted  in.  The 
Queen  lives  in  the  Palace  now  known  as  Margherita's 
Palace,  formerly  Piombino,  and  occupied  by  Mac- 
Veagh  and  Draper1  when  they  were  Ambassadors. 

'  The  Queen  was  very  attractive  and  charming, 
and  seemed  interested  and  posted  in  everything  that 
was  going  on.  Her  son,  the  King,  evidently  gets 
many  qualities  from  her  and  looks  like  her.  We  had 
a  most  agreeable  talk  of  half  an  hour.  The  Ministers 
of  Roumania  and  Chili  were  waiting  for  an  inter 
view.  .  .  . 

"We  gave  an  official  reception  in  the  evening. 
The  two  masters  of  ceremonies  sent  from  the  Court 
were  the  Duca  la  Rosa  and  Count  Bruschi,  who  pre 
sented  all  the  guests  as  they  entered  the  room  to 
Alice  and  myself.  We  received  from  10  to  11.30, 
Count  Bruschi  standing  by  Alice  and  Santa  Rosa  by 
me.  After  that  every  one  entered  the  ball-room, 
where  supper  was  served.  It  was  very  brilliant  as  the 
Ambassadors  and  Ministers  and  their  suites  all  came 
in  uniform,  also  the  officers  and  the  Italians  with  all 
the  decorations  that  they  ever  owned. 

"  The  Palace  and  the  plan  of  the  rooms  with  the 
ball-room  lends  itself  to  a  grand  reception,  and  every 
one  was  most  complimentary  and  said  it  was  excep 
tionally  brilliant. 

"  January  19.  —  Dine  at  the  Court.    Dinner  given 

i  Wayne  MacVeagh  of  Pennsylvania,  and  William  F.  Draper  of  Massa 
chusetts,  Meyer's  immediate  predecessors. 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  49 

by  the  King  and  Queen  at  the  Quirinal  to  the  Chiefs 
of  Mission  only. 

"We  all  assembled  in  the  reception-room  outside 
of  the  dining-room,  or  banquet  hall.  As  the  King  and 
Queen  entered,  the  men  all  bowed  solemnly  and  the 
ladies  curtsied.  After  a  few  minutes'  conversation, 
the  King  gave  his  arm  to  Baroness  Pasetti,  the  Aus 
trian  Ambassadress,1  and  Baron  Pasetti,  escorted  the 
Queen  to  the  table.  Baron  P.  told  me  that  in  Austria 
royalty  never  takes  the  arm  of  any  one  but  royalty. 

"  Alice  was  taken  in  by  Count  von  Wedel,  the 
German  Ambassador,  and  again  every  one  said  that 
they  made  the  most  regal-looking  couple  in  the  room, 
the  German  in  his  full  uniform  and  Alice  in  black 
velvet,  decollete,  with  her  turquoise  necklace  across  the 
front  of  her  dress  and  all  her  pearls  and  diamonds 
about  her  neck. 

"  The  Queen  looked  very  lovely  and  has  sweet  and 
simple  manners.  .  .  .  Alice  sat  within  one  of  the 
Queen,  as  Lady  Currie  and  Mme.  de  Nelidow2  were 
ill.  .  .  .  Music  played  throughout  dinner,  and  a 
large  toothpick  was  at  every  plate,  for  use! 

"  After  dinner  the  King  and  Queen  spoke  to  each 
one  of  us  separately;  the  men  were  obliged  to  stand." 

The  surviving  Puritan  in  George  Meyer  found 
expression  not  much  later  in  a  Sunday  note  in  the 
journal:  "Played  hearts  in  the  evening:  first  time  I 
have  ever  played  cards  with  a  clergyman  on  Sunday." 

1  Doyenne  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps,  who  had  shown  many  kindnesses 
.to  Mrs.  Meyer  on  her  arrival  at  Rome. 

2  The  Russian  Ambassadress. 


50  GEORGE  YON  L.  MEYER 

That  the  humours  of  the  hunt  were  not  lost  upon 
him  the  following  entry  bears  witness :  — 

"February  10.  —  Gave  Lord  Charles  Beresford  a 
mount  on  Good  Luck.  He  had  new  spurs,  and  un 
consciously  he  pricked  him,  and  the  horse  got  away  with 
him.  I  thought  I  should  fall  off,  laughing.  It  re 
minded  me  of  the  description  of  the  Captain  on  horse 
back  in  '  Peregrine  Pickle.' 

"  We  had  a  good  run  and  killed  the  fox.  French 
Ambassador  ran  into  an  Italian  officer,  knocked  him 
down,  and  then  fell  off  himself." 

The  throne  and  those  nearest  to  it  are  seen,  offi 
cially  and  unofficially,  in  the  two  ensuing  entries:  — 

ff  February  20.  —  The  King  opens  Parliament ;  sits 
on  the  throne,  with  the  Due  d'Aosta1  standing  on  his 
right  and  Count  of  Turin  on  his  left;  on  each  side 
also  stood  Due  des  Abruzzes  and  Due  de  Genes.  The 
Queen  was  in  a  box  on  the  first  gallery  with  her  ladies- 
in-waiting,  opposite  to  the  King.  When  the  King 
bowed  to  her,  she  made  a  low  curtsey. 

'  The  Ambassadors  and  Chiefs  of  Mission,  with 
their  wives,  were  in  large  box  adjoining  the  Queen. 
The  King  read  the  speech,  which  lasted  10  to  15  min 
utes.  The  procession  was  very  firie,  the  King  and 
Queen  in  separate  State  carriages;  the  street  was  lined 
with  troops. 

ff  February  21.  —  Hunt  at  Cecchignola. 

"The  Count  of  Turin  and  Duchess  d'Aosta2  at- 

iThe  King's  cousin,  then  heir  apparent;  the  Count  of  Turin  and 
Duke  of  the  Abruzzi  are  the  Duke  of  Aosta's  younger  brothers;  the  Duke 
of  Genoa,  another  cousin. 

2  The  Princess  Elena  of  Orleans,  daughter  of  the  Comte  de  Paris. 


mv\  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  51 

tended.  Was  presented  to  the  Count  of  Turin  by 
the  M.  F.  H.,  Marquis  Raccogiovini ;  to  H.  R.  H. 
Duchess  d'Aosta  by  the  French  Ambassador.  I  found 
her  most  gracious  and  agreeable,  as  well  as  attractive, 
and  later  rode  and  talked  quite  a  while  with  her. 

"  We  had  a  good  run  with  the  hounds,  but  did  not 
kill.  Julia  and  Alice,  my  daughters,  went  out  with  me 
and  enjoyed  it,  as  did  the  Reverend  Roland  Cotton 
Smith,  to  whom  I  gave  a  mount. 

"  Went  out  and  came  back  in  the  automobile." 

Through  March  and  April  of  1902  many  cables 
and  letters  passed  between  Meyer  and  his  political 
friends  in  Massachusetts  regarding  the  possibility  of 
his  coming  home  to  contest  the  seat  in  Congress  made 
vacant  by  the  appointment  of  William  H.  Moody  as 
Secretary  of  the  Navy.  Had  he  finally  yielded  to  the 
strong  solicitations  of  those  who  believed  that  the  con 
test  would  prove  successful,  there  might  well  have 
been  quite  a  different  story  to  tell  in  the  remaining 
pages  of  this  book.  It  is  not  often,  however,  that  the 
"  ifs  "  and  the  "  might  have  beens  "  suggest  so  clearly 
that  the  decision  arrived  at  was  wise.  In  the  work 
of  a  Congressman  it  is  hardly  conceivable  that  Meyer 
could  have  acquired  so  valuable  a  training  for  the 
posts  he  was  ultimately  to  occupy  as  that  which  his 
European  experience  afforded.  His  remaining  in 
Rome  at  this  time  was  fully  to  justify  itself,  as  a 
previous  reference  to  the  subject  has  intimated,  on 
the  score  of  sound  judgment. 

A  test  of  Meyer's  ability  to  handle  a  delicate  sit- 


52  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

uation  —  though  of  a  somewhat  sordid  nature  —  oc 
curred  at  about  this  time.  Near  the  end  of  April 
Italian  and  American  newspapers  had  much  to  say 
about  the  complications  that  followed  the  arrest  of 
four  officers  of  the  U.S.S.  Chicago  at  Venice,  as  the 
result  of  an  overturned  table  after  too  liberal  a  dinner 
at  the  Cafe  Piazza,  with  property  damages  and 
physical  conflict  with  the  civil  authorities  and  imprison 
ment  ensuing  in  due  course.  The  Consul-General  at 
Venice  did  not  notify  the  Ambassador  for  two  days 
after  the  affair,  when  the  conduct  of  it  had  passed 
beyond  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Foreign  Office  into  that 
of  the  Ministry  of  Justice.  Through  prompt  and 
energetic  dealings  with  Washington  by  cable  and  with 
the  Italian  authorities  in  person,  Meyer  managed  to 
secure  a  special  pardon,  and  liberation  of  the  offenders, 
from  the  King  himself,  and  the  transfer  of  the  pun 
ishment  they  deserved  from  the  court  at  Venice  to 
their  superior  officers  on  the  Chicago.  Though  ob 
viously  not  an  affair  of  great  moment,  it  was  one  of 
those  from  which  international  ill-feeling  and  resent 
ment  are  capable  of  growing,  and  its  tactful,  effective 
handling  by  the  American  Ambassador  was  an  earnest 
of  his  capacity  to  deal  with  larger  issues  as  they  should 
arise.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  matter  he  wrote  in 
his  diary :  — 

"  May  5.  —  Had  my  audience  with  the  King  of 
Italy  at  1  o'clock;  found  him  quite  recovered  from  his 
accident  to  knee  and  in  good  spirits  and  very  cordial 
—  gracious  is  the  expression  with  royalty.  Conveyed 
to  him  the  grateful  appreciation  of  the  President  for 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  53 

his  prompt  and  gracious  action  in  freeing  the  officers 
of  the  Chicago  from  prison. 

"  The  King  and  Queen  leave  for  Turin  at  7.30." 

The  occasion  of  the  King's  departure  for  Turin 
was  the  unveiling,  on  May  7,  of  a  statue  of  Prince 
Amadeo,  the  King's  uncle,  father  of  the  Duke  of 
Aosta  and  Count  of  Turin.  Meyer,  with  his  wife  and 
other  members  of  his  family,  went  also  to  Turin,  the 
only  ambassador  at  the  Italian  court  —  if  a  newspaper 
account  of  the  day  is  to  be  credited  —  who  attended 
the  ceremony.  A  tournament,  as  of  earlier  days,  gave 
its  flavour  to  the  occasion,  which  was  immediately  fol 
lowed  by  the  opening  of  an  International  Exposition 
of  Modern  Decorative  Art,  with  an  American  section. 
A  few  notes  from  the  diary  suggest  something  of  an 
ambassador's  part  in  it  all:  — 

"  May  7.  —  Reach  Turin  at  4.30  A.M.  —  just  day 
light.  Retire  to  my  room  at  Hotel  Europe,  but  get 
up  again  at  8  A.M.  Call  Alice  and  Helo  at  9  A.M.  It 
was  a  beautiful  day,  and  soon  after  we  arrived  the 
Duke  and  Duchess  d' Aosta  drove  into  the  enclosure 
in  state,  men  in  scarlet  livery;  next  the  Princess 
Letitia,1  the  Duchess  of  Genoa,  and  the  Duke;2  last 
of  all,  the  King  and  Queen  and  their  ladies-in- 
waiting,  also  Life  Guards  mounted  and  brought  from 
Rome. 

"After  the  unveiling  of  the  statue  the  King  in- 

iThe  second  wife  of  Prince  Amadeo  of  Savoy,  a  sister  of  Prince 
Napoleon. 

2  Prince  Thomas,  Duke  of  Genoa,  and  his  wife,  Princess  Isabella  of 
Bavaria. 


54  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

vited  me  to  come  up  on  the  royal  platform,  where  I 
was  received  by  the  King  and  Queen  and  invited  to 
sign  the  deed  with  the  royal  family  conveying  the 
statue  to  the  city. 

"  In  the  evening  came  the  tournament  in  which 
the  Duke  of  Aosta,  Count  of  Turin  took  part,  and  a 
number  of  noblemen  all  on  horseback,  representing  the 
Duke  of  Savoy  (Amadeo),  about  200  years  back.  All 
the  royal  family  present;  very  brilliant  and  well  done. 

ff  May  9.  —  At  7  A.M.  Alice  and  I  had  an  audience 
with  the  Duchess  d'Aosta.  We  were  there  for  about 
half  an  hour.  She  was  most  agreeable  and  talkative. 
She  hoped  we  were  not  going  to  leave  Italy,  and  men 
tioned  seeing  me  at  the  monument,  but  it  was  impos 
sible  to  bow  from  the  stage  in  the  presence  of  so  much 
royalty.  Their  palace  very  attractive;  reception- 
room  on  the  ground  floor  with  fine  tapestries. 

"  May  10.  —  Splendid  view  of  the  King  and  Queen 
and  the  royal  family  as  they  leave  the  palace  for  the 
Exposition,  with  the  troops  drawn  up  on  both  sides 
of  the  street  and  the  buglers  playing  in  a  most  spirited 
way. 

"  When  the  King  and  Queen  with  the  royal  party 
arrived  at  the  American  Quarter  of  the  Exposition,  I 
received  them  and  escorted  them  over  the  apartment. 
They  remarked  especially  the  pictures  of  the  Waldorf, 
and  also  the  Exposition  of  the  Gorham  Company. 

"  Attend  the  dinner  given  by  the  Sindaco  of  Turin. 
The  Duke  of  Aosta  presided,  next  to  him  Count  of 
Turin,  then  Duke  of  Genoa,  G.  v.  L.  M.,  and  on  my 
other  side  Bianchini,  President  of  the  Chamber  of 


1902]  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  55 

Deputies;  beyond  him  Zanardelli,  the  Premier;  Duke 
of  the  Abruzzi  was  also  present.  In  all  250  guests. 
The  Duke  of  Aosta  spoke  very  well  and  easily." 

Other  days  of  ceremonial  were  soon  to  follow  in 
Rome,  when  the  Shah  of  Persia  visited  the  Italian 
King.  The  diary  relates  some  of  the  circumstances 
and  impressions  of  this  visit. 

"May  21.  —  We  all  go  to  Countess  Gianotti,  to 
see  the  King  and  Shah  of  Persia  on  their  way  to  the 
Quirinal  Palace  from  the  station,  escorted  by  the  Life 
Guards  all  mounted  on  horses  seventeen  hands  high, 
the  guards  themselves  over  six  feet.  The  street  lined 
with  soldiers,  music  playing,  .crowds  shouting. 

ff  May  22.  —  Get  up  at  7  A.M.  and  leave  in  the 
auto  to  see  the  parade  in  honour  of  the  Shah. 

"The  King,  Count  of  Turin  and  the  Staff,  also 
military  attaches  all  on  horseback. 

'  The  Queen  comes  in  a  carriage  with  Shah  of 
Persia.  It  was  a  very  brilliant  parade,  the  Bersaglieri 
being  a  special  feature,  who  went  by  the  King  double- 
quick  step,  the  bugles  playing  as  they  advanced  and 
running  at  the  same  time.  There  were  also  the  de 
tached  balloons  with  the  gun  carriages. 

<e  May  23.  —  Garden  party  in  the  palace  of  the 
King  —  at  the  Quirinal  —  given  in  honour  of  the 
Shah. 

"  The  King  and  Queen  and  the  royal  party  ad 
journed  to  the  pavilion.  At  first  the  Ambassadresses 
were  invited  to  join  them.  The  King  stood  beside 
Alice  a  long  time  and  walked  with  her.  She  attempted 


56  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

to  stand  but  [was]  told  that  if  she  stood  he  would 
leave!  The  Ambassadors  were  then  invited  to  come 
into  the  pavilion. 

"  Barrere 1  and  I  talked  with  the  King,  and  he 
told  us  of  the  Shah's  fear  of  the  cannons,  and  that 
they  had  to  stop  them. 

"  The  royal  party  adjourned  into  the  adjoining 
room  with  the  Ambassadresses  and  had  tea.  The 
Garden  is  very  beautiful  and  was  laid  out  by  Maderna. 

"May  24- — Attend  the  dinner  at  the  King's 
Palace  given  in  honour  of  the  Shah  to  the  Chiefs  of 
Mission  in  the  Diplomatic  Corps.  The  only  ladies 
present  were  the  Queen  and  her  two  ladies-in-waiting, 
Countess  Trigona  and  Duchess  Grazioli  Lante. 

"  The  Queen  entered  the  salon  on  the  arm  of  the 
Shah  of  Persia,  the  King  and  the  Count  of  Turin 
each  following  with  a  lady-in-waiting.  After  they  had 
greeted  the  Ambassadors,  we  all  went  into  dinner.  I 
sat  in  the  third  seat  to  the  left  of  the  King,  between 
the  French  Ambassador,  Barrere,  and  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs  Prinetti.  The  dinner  lasted  less  than 
an  hour.  I  can  usually  eat  very  fast,  but  my  plate 
was  taken  away  at  each  course  before  I  had 
finished. 

"  After  dinner  the  King  came  forward  and  spoke 
to  me  before  the  other  Ambassadors  and  talked  very 
agreeably  for  some  time;  told  me  about  the  Shah  de 
clining  at  the  last  moment  to  go  and  pay  his  respects 
to  the  Pope,  for  the  reason  that  Cardinal  Rampolla 2 

iCamille  Barrere,  the  French  Ambassador. 
2  Papal  Secretary  of  State. 


1902]  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  57 

would  not  return  the  visit  until  it  could  be  done  at  a 
hotel,  declining  to  enter  the  house  of  a  Minister  Pleni 
potentiary  accredited  to  the  Quirinal. 

"  After  the  King  left  me,  his  cousin  the  Count  of 
Turin,  came  forward  and  talked,  but  he  had  to  leave 
shortly  on  account  of  the  Shah  of  Persia  coming  for 
ward  to  address  me. 

"  The  Queen  sat  on  the  sofa  and  had  each  Ambas 
sador  and  Minister  brought  up  separately,  with  whom 
she  talked  a  few  minutes.  She  addressed  me  in  Ger 
man  and  was  most  charming  and  affable,  sending 
greeting  to  my  wife  and  also  a  message  to  the  girls, 
saying  it  always  gave  her  pleasure  to  see  them  in 
Rome. 

ff  May  25.  —  The  Shah  of  Persia  leaves  Rome  this 
morning,  much  to  the  relief  of  the  King  and  Queen. 
The  Shah  could  speak  no  language  except  his  own, 
and  is  in  reality  a  brute,  and,  the  King  tells  me,  a 
coward  as  well." 

In  Naples  a  few  days  later  Mr.  Meyer  paid 
official  visits  to  American  vessels  of  war,  then  at  that 
port,  took  note  of  officers  on  the  Chicago  involved  in 
the  unfortunate  affair  at  Venice  a  month  before,  and 
met  Bishop  Brent  and  Governor  Taft,  returning  from 
the  Philippines,  the  Governor  on  his  way  to  Rome  to 
treat  with  the  Vatican  regarding  the  friars  and  the 
disposal  of  their  property  in  the  Islands.  "  A  most 
companionable  man,"  was  Meyer's  description  of  him 
when  they  met  at  lunch  in  Rome  on  June  7, —  the 
day  of  the  Ambassador's  summer  departure  for  Horn- 


58  GEORGE  vox  L.  MEYER  V902 

burg  and  the  United  States,  —  and  discussed  the 
ambitions  of  other  Americans  for  ambassadorial  ap 
pointments. 

The  King  and  Queen  Mother,  with  whom  he  had 
farewell  audiences  on  the  day  before,  each  expressed 
the  hope  that  he  would  surely  return,  for  there  were 
rumours  that  a  change  was  impending  in  the  American 
Embassy  at  Rome.  Rumours  of  this  kind,  with  little 
or  no  foundation,  were  of  somewhat  frequent  recur 
rence,  and  such  a  visitor  as  Governor  Taft  could  often 
throw  light  upon  their  origin. 

The  journey  to  Homburg  was  broken  by  a  pleas 
ant  stop  at  Turin,  where  the  races  of  a  Concours 
Hippique  were  in  progress,  and  the  Count  of  Turin 
and  Duke  of  Aosta  welcomed  the  travellers  with  much 
hospitality.  After  a  fortnight  of  application  to  the 
"  cure  "  at  Homburg,  the  yacht  races  at  Kiel  afforded 
Mr.  Meyer  the  first  of  a  number  of  opportunities  that 
were  to  fall  to  him  within  the  coming  five  years  to 
meet  and  talk  with  the  Kaiser.  All  these  interviews 
are  recorded,  with  some  detail,  in  his  European 
journals.  On  June  28,  1902,  he  noted  his  arrival  at 
Kiel,  where  he  was  met  at  the  station  by  Captain 
W.  H.  Beehler,  United  States  Naval  Attache  for 
Rome  and  other  capitals,  and  was  put  up  at  the 
Kaiserlichen  Yacht  Club.  The  diary  for  the  ensuing 
days  is  as  follows: — 

ff  June  29.  —  At  11  o'clock  go  out  in  Mrs.  Klem- 
perer's  steam  launch  to  see  the  Meteor  *  race.  At  the 
start  we  passed  the  Empress  in  her  launch,  to  whom 

iThe  Kaiser's  American-built  yacht. 


1902}  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  59 

we  all  rose  and  bowed,  the  Empress  returning  the 
salute. 

"  Later  in  the  day,  one  of  the  Committee  came  on 
our  boat  and  used  it  to  notify  the  first  two  boats  that' 
the  course  was  changed;  then  we  notified  the  Kaiser, 
but  he  declined  to  accept  the  change.  The  two  first 
boats  had  already  turned  the  stake-boat,  and  this  left 
the  Committee  man  in  a  humiliating  situation,  as  he 
had  to  go  back  and  tell  the  other  two  boats  to  con 
tinue  the  old  course,  which  they  did  under  protest. 

"  The  wind  died  out  and  the  boats  did  not  get 
back  until  2  A.M. 

"  Mr.  Armour  of  the  Utowana  and  Mr.  Robinson 
of  the  Wanderer  called. 

"  Jwne  30.  —  Called  on  Mr.  Robinson  on  the 
Wanderer.  Marion  Story  and  his  wife,  also  Miss 
Gray,  on  board.  Left  a  card  on  the  Utowana. 

"  At  7  o'clock  went  to  the  Yacht  Club,  where  the 
Kaiser  distributed  the  prizes  to  the  officers.  Was 
presented  to  the  Kaiser  by  the  Chancellor  von  Billow. 
The  Kaiser  is  not  as  tall  as  I  expected  to  find  him, 
but  he  impressed  me  as  a  very  strenuous  man,  with 
the  faculty  of  giving  you  his  entire  attention  while 
he  is  speaking  to  you.  After  the  prizes  were  given 
out,  the  Kaiser  again  spoke  to  me  before  going  to 
dinner. 

"  At  dinner  I  sat  beside  Admiral  Eisendecker,  who 
went  to  America  with  Prince  Henry.  After  dinner 
we  adjourned  to  the  garden,  where  cigars,  beer,  and 
coffee  were  served.  While  we  were  standing  around 
Prince  Henry  arrived,  having  come  from  England 


60  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

direct  to  Kiel  in  his  man-of-war.  I  was  impressed 
with  the  incident  of  Prince  Henry's  arrival,  for  at 
that  moment  the  Kaiser  was  talking  with  Vice-Com 
modore  Robinson  of  the  New  York  Yacht  Club.  The 
Kaiser  went  on  talking,  and  Prince  Henry  stood  with 
out  speaking,  and  waiting  for  his  brother  to  recognize 
him  before  saluting.  Then  the  Kaiser  and  his  brother 
stood  for  some  time  talking.  Afterwards  the  Kaiser 
came  over  and  joined  Chancellor  von  Billow  and 
myself.  We  had  been  smoking  and  talking  together 
for  some  time.  I  had  a  most  interesting  talk  with  His 
Majesty  for  nearly  half  an  hour  about  the  Marconi 
System  and  the  gifts  he  is  sending  to  Harvard. 

"  Later  in  the  evening  was  presented  to  Prince 
Henry  and  was  invited  to  sit  down  while  we  smoked 
and  talked.  I  note  he  drank  whisky  and  soda;  all 
the  other  Germans  took  beer. 

"July  1.  —  Alice  and  I  went  on  board  the  steam 
yacht  Wanderer  belonging  to  Vice-Commodore  Rob 
inson,  in  order  to  follow  the  race  to  Eckernforde. 

"  The  Kaiser  on  the  Meteor  got  in  20  minutes 
ahead  of  all  the  other  yachts,  but  the  time  allowance 
that  he  has  to  give  is  so  great  that  he  only  got  thd 
third  prize. 

"  In  the  evening  we  went  ashore  to  a  little  hall 
which  corresponds  to  a  village  town  hall.  While  we 
were  waiting  outside,  Alice  and  myself,  the  Kaiser 
came  along  and  shook  hands  with  me,  recognizing  me 
in  the  crowd.  Inside  were  the  yachtsmen,  the  dif 
ferent  members  of  the  Cabinet,  von  Billow,  and  the 
admirals.  The  Kaiser  invited  me  to  sit  beside  him 


1902]  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  61 

on  right;  on  the  other  side  was  Grand  Duke  of  S axe- 
Weimar,  and  the  Prince  of  Monaco.  Later  in  the 
evening  Grand  Duke  Michel  of  Russia  arrived  unex 
pectedly  and  I  gave  my  place  up  to  him.  The  Grand 
Duke  Michel  is  at  present  heir  to  the  throne. 

"  Prince  Henry  had  an  extraordinary  experience 
that  evening.  The  Kaiser  sent  him  to  receive  the 
Grand  Duke,  [who]  was  on  his  man-of-war  which  had 
just  come  from  London.  Prince  H.  could  find  no 
launch,  and  therefore  took  a  row-boat  with  four  fisher 
men  in  it  to  go  out  to  the  Russian  man-of-war.  When 
he  got  there  in  this  peculiar  conveyance,  the  man-of- 
warsmen  would  pay  no  attention  to  him,  not  even 
allowing  him  to  come  on  board.  He  then  got  quite 
excited  and  said  that  he  was  an  admiral  of  the  Ger 
man  navy  and  they  must  recognize  him,  which  was 
reluctantly  done,  probably  with  fear. 

"The  Kaiser  greeted  the  Grand  Duke  Michel 
when  he  arrived  and,  speaking  in  English,  said  that 
it  must  have  been  a  peculiar  experience  for  the  Grand 
Duke  to  find  himself  in  such  a  place  and  under  such 
conditions! 

ff  July  2.  —  The  Kaiser  took  on  the  Meteor  the 
four  owners  of  yachts,  Robinson,  Armour,  Griscom, 
and  Widener. 

"  The  Kaiser's  boat,  the  Meteor,  again  came  in 
first,  but  on  time  allowance  the  first  prize  went  to  the 
Empress's  yacht,  the  Vicuna,  the  Meteor  receiving 
second  prize.  We  got  back  to  Kiel  at  12. 

"  At  1.30  we  lunched  on  board  the  Nahma,  Mrs. 
Goelet's  boat.  It  is  the  finest  yacht  that  I  have  ever 


62  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V902 

seen —  like  a  beautiful  chateau  inside,  and  surpasses 
the  Hohenzollern,  belonging  to  the  Kaiser. 

ff  July  3.  —  In  the  morning  Alice  and  I  took  a 
walk  and  found  that  the  Corsair  with  J.  Pierpont 
Morgan,  had  arrived.  Alice  and  I  went  out  and 
called.  On  board  were  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Marcoe,  Mrs. 
Douglas,  Mr.  Lanier,  Robert  Bacon,  and  Miss 
Morgan. 

:<  Mr.  Morgan  lunched  on  the  Hohenzollern.  In 
the  afternoon  the  Kaiser,  von  Biilow,  etc.,  called  on 
the  Corsair. 

"  In  the  afternoon  we  went  through  the  Kiel 
Canal.  It  was  commenced  in  1889  and  finished  in 
1895. 

ce  July  4^--  The  Morgan-Griscom-Widener  party 
all  leave  for  Homburg.  There  is  a  big  deal  on  includ 
ing  some  traffic  agreement  of  German  SS.  lines  in 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  Trust  which  is  being  formed. 

"  We  leave  for  Paris  at  11.25. 

"Reach  Cologne  at  10  o'clock;  have  time  to  walk 
around  the  Cathedral,  which  is  now  entirely  finished. 
I  had  not  seen  it  since  1878,  when  I  was  travel 
ling  alone  between  my  junior  and  senior  year  at 
Harvard." 

After  a  short  stay  in  Paris  Mr.  Meyer  sailed  for 
America,  where  he  passed  nearly  two  months,  un 
marked  by  signal  events.  Ten  days  in  hospital  for 
an  operation  —  the  prospect  of  which  had  helped  him 
to  decide  against  running  for  Congress  —  consumed 
a  portion  of  the  vacation.  On  one  of  its  days  of  free 
dom,  July  25,  he  lunched  with  President  Roosevelt 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  63 

at  Oyster  Bay,  and  made  record  of  the  meeting. 
"  The  President  most  cordial.  Talk  over  his  affairs 
and  the  situation  as  to  his  renomination ;  go  over  the 
question  very  thoroughly."  Here  is  a  point  on  which 
more  of  detail  would  be  welcome. 

It  was  enough  to  say  of  another  matter  which 
may  have  an  antiquarian  interest  some  day:  "August 
^.  —  Talked  with  Charley  McKim  about  the  'White 
House  '  which  he  is  doing  over  in  Washington,  and 
arranged  to  have  the  eagles  in  the  large  room  of  the 
Somerset  Club  copied  for  him." 

On  September  13  Meyer  sailed  again  for  Europe, 
and  after  stopping  in  Scotland  for  a  few  days  of  shoot 
ing,  rejoined  his  family  in  Paris  on  October  1.  Visits 
to  Turin,  Milan,  and  Florence,  the  more  agreeable  by 
reason  of  much  friendly  intercourse  with  the  Duke  of 
Aosta  and  the  Count  of  Turin,  broke  the  return  to 
Rome,  where  he  arrived  before  the  end  of  October. 
A  few  passages  from  the  diary  for  the  remainder  of 
the  year  will  suffice  to  record  it. 

"  November  19.  —  Audience  with  the  King  this 
morning  at  10  A.M.  As  I  entered  the  room,  the  King 
announced  that  the  Queen  had  given  birth  to  another 
princess  1  at  1.30  A.M.  This  was  the  first  that  I  had 
heard  of  it,  the  news  not  having  been  sent  to  the  press 
in  time  for  the  morning  editions. 

"  The  King  was  very  cordial  and  expressed  grati 
fication  that  I  was  not  giving  up  my  post.  We  dis 
cussed  the  c  Statute,'  also  the  disappearance  of  the 
premium  on  gold,  and  the  Italian  colonization  in 

i  Princess  Mafalda. 


64  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Argentina,  which  he  said  he  hoped  would  practically 
become  eventually  an  Italian  republic. 

"November  22.  —  Leave  Rome  for  Ardea  in  the 
auto;  take  Waldo  Story,  Professor  Norton,  and  Lieu 
tenant  Peruzzi  di  Medici.  From  Porta  S.  Paolo  we 
went  to  Ardea  in  47  minutes,  the  distance  being  43 
kilometres. 

'  We  arrived  at  Story's  shooting-box  on  the 
Mediterranean  at  1  o'clock,  just  one  hour  from  the 
palace.  Kill  35  snipe  and  4  teal  duck.  The  duck- 
shooting  was  a  novelty.  You  wait  until  after  dark 
in  a  blind,  and  then,  when  the  ducks  fly  over  your 
head,  you  can  see  them  against  the  sky  and  shoot. 
The  difficulty  is  to  find  them  after  they  fall  in  the 
marsh. 

"  November  23.  -  -  We  have  a  fox-hunt  after  rid 
ing  on  little  ponies  for  about  10  kilometres  along  the 
coast,  the  waves  of  the  Mediterranean  breaking  on  the 
beach  and  the  quaint  fishing-boats  dodging  on  the  sur 
face  of  the  ocean  in  the  distance.  Occasionally  we 
pass  fishermen  up  to  their  waists  in  water,  dragging 
hand  nets. 

"  We  get  three  foxes,  and  late  in  the  afternoon 
after  the  sun  has  set,  I  shoot  a  couple  of  mal 
lard. 

"December  10.  —Preside  at  Sir  R.  Rodd's,1  at 
meeting  of  Anglo-American  Home.  Stormy  meeting, 
many  points  of  order  raised;  my  experience  as 
Speaker  of  the  House  most  useful  on  this  occasion. 

i  Sir  Rennell  Rodd,  then  Secretary  of  the  British  Embassy,  now 
British  Ambassador,  at  Rome. 


1902]  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  65 

Meeting  lasted  three  hours;  congratulated  by  both  fac 
tions  for  the  fairness  of  my  rulings. 

ff  December  15.  —  Attended  the  Chamber  of  Depu 
ties  at  5  o'clock  to  hear  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs 
Prinetti  speak  on  the  Venezuela  Affair.  Italy  will 
send  two  men-of-war  to  act  in  the  blockade  with  Eng 
land  and  Germany. 

'  The  Chamber  is  carried  on  with  very  little  for 
mality  and  attention  to  parliamentary  rules.  Some 
of  the  members  labour  and  take  violent  exercise  in 
gesticulations  when  they  speak.  They  are  very  voluble 
and  speak  with  ease  and  rapidity,  but  not  always  to 
the  point. 

"December  15.  —  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs 
notifies  me  of  their  appreciation  of  the  prospect  of 
settling  Venezuelan  difficulties  by  arbitration  of  Presi 
dent  Roosevelt.  If,  however,  the  President  is  unwill 
ing  to  act  so  far  as  Italy  is  concerned,  no  objection 
to  submit  claims  to  permanent  court  at  The  Hague, 
provided  her  claims  receive  the  same  treatment  as  the 
claims  of  other  countries. 

ff  December  24-  —  Send  cable  of  72  words  to  Sec- 
•etary  Hay  on  Italy  and  the  Venezuela  matter.  Italy 
\ds  joined  with  England  and  Germany  in  blockading 
with  their  naval  forces  the  Venezuelan  ports  for  not 
having  satisfied  their  complaints." 

Several  passages  in  the  diary  for  the  opening  weeks 
of  the  new  year  have  to  do  with  Castro  and  Venezuela 
and  the  satisfactory  results  of  Meyer's  dealings  with 
the  Italian  Foreign  Office  on  behalf  of  the  State  De- 


66  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

partment  at  Washington.  Later  possibilities  of  in 
ternational  cooperation  are  suggested  in  the  final 
entry :  — 

"  February  8,  1903.  —  Cable  Washington  that  Italy 
does  not  object  to  having  claims  settled  through 
Mr.  Bo  wen *  at  Washington,  or,  failing  that,  refer 
ring  controversy  to  the  permanent  court  at  The 
Hague,  on  condition  that  the  claim  of  Italy  receives 
the  same  treatment  as  analogous  claims  of  other 
Powers." 

The  minor  troubles  of  an  ambassador  are  suggested 
by  the  first  of  the  following  notes  upon  passing  ex 
periences. 

fc  February  10.  -  -  We  give  in  Palazzo  Brancaccio  a 
large  dinner  for  the  Austrian  and  German  Ambas 
sadors  and  Bavarian  Minister. 

"  In  answer  to  a  letter  that  I  received  from  John 
Hay  as  to  whether  there  was  any  truth  in  the  rumour 
that  any  American  citizen  not  received  at  the  Quirinal 
was  undesirable  or  would  not  be  welcome  at  the  public 
reception  of  the  American  Embassy,  I  was  very  glad 
to  have  an  opportunity  to  deny  it  and  to  say  that  the 
question  as  to  whether  an  American  is  received  at  the 
Quirinal  or  not  is  not  considered  or  even  thought  of, 
except  at  the  Ricevimento,  when  the  Court  supervises 
your  list  and  erases  all  names  of  Italians  who  have  not 
been  presented  at  Court,  sending  two  Masters  of  Cere 
monies  to  introduce  the  guests. 

<(  February  14-  — '  Midsummer  Night's  Dream  ' 
given  in  the  ball-room  by  a  number  of  children  under 

•*  Herbert  W.  Bowen,  American  Minister  to  Venezuela. 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  67 

Sir  Rennell  and  Lady  Rodd,  at  4.45.  '  Bey ' *  takes 
the  part  of  Bottom. 

"  H.M.  the  Queen  of  Italy  arrived  at  4.45  by  the 
Garden.  I  went  down  the  steps,  followed  by  Mr. 
Iddings,  the  first  Secretary  of  the  Embassy.  After 
saluting  the  Queen,  I  offered  my  arm,  Mr.  Iddings 
and  the  Countess  di  Trinita  following.  Alice  received 
the  Queen  in  the  salon,  and  after  a  few  words  I 
escorted  her  into  the  ball-room  to  her  seat. 

"  After  the  performance  was  over,  I  again  escorted 
the  Queen  to  the  salon,  where  she  received  my  girls 
and  Mrs.  Iddings,  and  I  presented  Mr.  Leonard  M. 
Thomas,  the  new  second  Secretary. 

'  The  carriage  being  announced,  I  escorted  H.M. 
to  her  carriage  and  she  drove  off  through  the  Garden 
with  the  Countess  di  Trinita  and  Count  di  Trinita. 
The  Palace  and  Garden  were  surrounded  by  gen 
darmes  and  detectives. 

ff  April  19.  —  General  Wood  came  and  dined  with 
us,  and  we  had  a  long  talk  after  dinner  about  Roose 
velt's  prospects  of  being  nominated  and  elected;  also 
what  men  he  could  trust  in  Washington. 

"  Wood  told  me  that  the  White  House  was  a  great 
success  in  the  work  done  by  Charley  McKim  in  the 
restoration. 

"April  27.  —  The  King  of  England  arrived  to-day. 
We  took  a  room  on  Via  Nazionale,  with  a  balcony 
which  held  six  people.  Great  preparations  had  been 
made  to  decorate  this  street  from  the  station  to  the 
Quirinal  Palace.  In  driving  to  join  Alice  and  the 

.  Meyer's  son. 


68  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

children,  -I  met  the  King  and  the  House  of  Savoy 
going  to  the  station  to  receive  the  King.  H.R.H.  the 
Count  of  Turin  recognized  me  and  saluted.  The 
street  was  lined  with  troops  on  both  sides.  The  two 
Kings  drove  in  a  carriage  by  themselves,  the  King  of 
England  sitting  on  the  right,  the  mounted  Life 
Guards  preceding  them.  In  the  next  carriage  was  the 
Duke  of  Aosta,  the  Comte  de  Turin,  Due  d'Abruzzi, 
and  the  Duke  of  Genoa.  They  all  recognized  Alice 
and  myself  and  saluted. 

"  The  street  was  crowded  and  the  decorations  very 
effective,  especially  in  Piazza  di  Termini;  but  there 
was  very  little  enthusiasm.  Surprised  to  see  the  King 
of  England  so  fit  and  well. 

'  The  Duke  of  Aosta  came  round  and  took  a  cup 
of  tea  with  us  at  5  o'clock. 

ff  April  28.  —  Gala  performance  of  the  Opera  at 
the  Argentina,  in  honour  of  King  Albert  Edward  VII 
of  England.  The  five  Ambassadresses  and  seven  Am 
bassadors  sit  in  a  large  box  next  to  the  royal  box.  In 
royal  box,  King  V.  E.  Ill  of  Italy,  King  Edward  VII 
of  England,  Queen  of  Italy,  Duke  of  Aosta,  Count  of 
Turin,  Duke  of  Abruzzi,  Duke  of  Genoa,  and  several 
ladies-in-waiting,  Princess  Teano,  Duchess  of  Ter- 
ranova,  Countess  Guicciardini,  and  Countess  Bruschi, 
In  the  other  boxes,  of  which  there  are  five  tiers,  were 
the  Diplomatic  Corps,  ladies  of  the  Court,  and  the 
nobility  of  Rome.  Among  the  most  striking  and  beau 
tiful  were  Princess  Trabia,  Countess  Martini  (nee 
Ruspoli),  Marquise  de  Bagno,  Duchess  of  Suther 
land,  Miss  Blight.  Many  people  said  Mrs.  Cornelius 


VIEW      FROM      BALCONY      OF      PALAZZO      BRANCACCIO,      SANTA 
MARIA   MAGGIORE    IN    THE    DISTANCE 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  69 

Vanderbilt  had  the  most  beautiful  jewels  and  that  the 
American  Ambassadress  (Alice)  was  the  most  stylish! 
The  Opera  was  not  especially  good,  but  the  ballet 
excellent;  it  had  been  imported  from  Milan  and 
the  costumes,  Japanese,  new  and  fresh.  The  tout 
ensemble  of  the  house  was  very  fine  and  brilliant. 
The  performance  ended  at  midnight  and  the  confu 
sion  in  getting  carriages  afterward  was  disgraceful. 
Ladies  were  obliged  to  walk  into  the  streets  in  their 
low-neck  dresses  and  slippers  and  find  their  carriages 
with  their  escorts. 

"May  2.  —  The  Kaiser  of  Germany,  the  German 
Crown  Prince,  and  his  brother  arrive  in  Rome,  the 
train  over  one  hour  late. 

"  Fortunately  the  rain  held  as  they  drove  to  the 
Palace  from  the  station.  In  the  first  carriage  the 
Kaiser  and  the  King  of  Italy;  second  carriage,  the 
Crown  Prince,  the  Duke  of  Aosta,  and  Due  d' Abruzzi ; 
third  carriage,  brother  of  Crown  Prince,  Count  of 
Turin  and  the  Duke  of  Genoa;  fourth  carriage,  Count 
von  Billow,  Chancellor  of  Germany,  Zanardelli,1  and 
Admiral  Morin,2  after  that  the  suite  of  the  Emperor 
in  gorgeous  uniforms.  All  the  state  carriages  were 
used  and  the  servants  and  outriders  in  red  livery.  It 
was  a  very  fine  sight. 

"  The  French  and  Spanish  Ambassadors  and 
myself  viewed  the  procession  from  a  stand  erected  in 
front  of  the  American  Church  with  the  three  flags  of 
our  country  draped  over  our  heads.  Alice,  Helo,  and 

1  Premier  of  the  Italian  Cabinet. 

2  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 


70  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  I19°s 

the  children  were  in  a  private  balcony.  The  King  of 
Italy  as  well  as  the  Kaiser  saluted  Alice  as  they 
passed. 

"  H.R.H.  the  Duke  of  Aosta  came  to  tea  in  the 
afternoon  and  brought  us  some  photos  of  himself 
jumping  his  horses. 

"May  3.  —  Attended  American  Church.  After 
lunch  went  to  Doria  Palace  to  see  the  Kaiser  leave 
the  Prussian  Legation  for  the  Pope  at  the  Vatican. 
We  could  see  directly  opposite,  in  the  Odescalchi 
Palace,  the  Kaiser  and  Rampolla  talking  together,  also 
the  Crown  Prince  and  his  brother.  The  Kaiser  drove 
off  in  an  elaborate  carriage  which  he  had  sent  from 
Berlin,  drawn  by  four  horses  with  postilions  and  two 
footmen  behind,  all  in  gorgeous  liveries,  and  the 
Kaiser  himself  in  a  splendid  uniform  followed  by  four 
or  five  carriages  containing  his  suite.  Rome  has  been 
much  impressed  by  the  style  in  which  the  Kaiser  has 
done  things,  and  he  has  increased  his  popularity.  The 
King  of  England  did  things  more  simply  and  showed 
his  age  and  effects  of  his  illness.  The  suite  brought 
by  the  Kaiser,  all  splendid,  big  men. 

"  May  4.  —  Audience  with  the  Kaiser  at  7.30.  The 
Chiefs  of  Mission  assembled  at  the  Quirinal  Palace  at 
the  appointed  hour.  It  differed  from  the  audience 
with  the  King  of  England  inasmuch  as  the  Kaiser 
gave  a  separate  and  private  audience  to  each  Ambas 
sador.  As  Nelidow  was  ill,  I  was  the  fourth  Ambas 
sador  received,  Austria,  Turkey,  and  France  preced 
ing  me.  When  I  entered  the  room  after  being  pre 
sented  by  the  German  Ambassador,  Comte  de  Monts, 


1908}  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  71 

the  Kaiser  shook  hands  and  said,  '  How  do  you  do 
again ! '  I  had  met  him  several  times  at  Kiel.  We 
had  a  most  delightful  and  cordial  conversation,  and 
in  leaving  he  said  that  he  hoped  to  see  us  again  at 
Kiel. 

"  After  the  audience,  left  the  Quirinal  with  Barrere 
and  played  bridge  at  the  Farnese  Palace  until  11.30; 
then  went  to  reception  given  by  the  Countess  Somaglia 
for  the  Crown  Prince  of  Germany  and  his  brother. 
Was  presented  to  both  by  the  hostess.  They  are 
young  and  natural. 

"May  5.  —  Kaiser  goes  to  Monte  Casino  for  the 
day.  Gives  10,000  marks. 

"  Reception  to  the  Kaiser  at  the  Capitol  was  inter 
esting  and  impressive,  with  all  its  historic  surround 
ings  and  wonderful  collections  of  art.  The  Diplomatic 
Corps  and  the  ladies-in-waiting  to  the  Queen  with  the 
gentlemen-in-waiting  stood  in  the  Sala,  with  its  won 
derful  mural  decoration,  to  receive  the  Kaiser  with  the 
King  and  Queen  of  Italy  and  their  suites.  They 
marched  in  state  to  the  adjoining  room,  where  a  few 
ladies  were  presented  to  the  Emperor  of  Germany; 
first  Mme.  Nelidow,  the  Russian  Ambassadress,  and 
then  Alice.  The  Kaiser  told  my  wife  that  he  hoped 
we  were  coming  to  Kiel  again  this  year.  After  that 
Madame  Rudini,  the  three  sisters  of  Prince  Doria, 
Countess  Gianotti,  and  Madame  Ristori  were  pre 
sented.  The  Emperor,  with  the  Queen  of  Italy  on 
his  arm,  followed  by  the  King  with  Princess  Sonnino, 
the  wife  of  Prospero  Colonna,  syndic,  made  the  grand 
tour  of  the  rooms. 


72  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

"May  6.  —  Kaiser  leaves  Rome  at  5.50.  We  had 
the  same  balcony  on  Via  Nazionale,  and  the  King  of 
Italy  and  the  Kaiser  of  Germany  both  looked  up  and 
saluted,  and  the  Kaiser  looked  back  a  second  time  and 
waved  to  me.  The  Duke  of  Aosta  and  the  Count  of 
Turin  also  saluted." 

From  the  account  of  several  days  in  May  spent  in 
visiting  Milan,  Florence,  and  Venice,  the  following 
description  of  a  picturesque  spectacle  may  be  taken :  - 

"May  15.  —  Reach  Venice  at  5.30  A.M.  —  lovely 
morning.  Our  gondolas  are  waiting  for  us  and  take 
us  to  the  Grand  Hotel  —  at  6  A.M.  At  8.30  A.M.  the 
King  and  Queen  pass  in  their  gondola,  escorted  by 
the  old  gondola  beautifully  painted,  and  with  men  in 
ancient  costumes,  the  same  as  those  used  by  the  Doges. 
The  King  afterwards  told  me  it  was  an  ancient  custom 
to  give  the  King  this  splendid  escort  —  a  really  beau 
tiful  sight.  The  King  and  Queen  recognized  us  from 
the  gondola,  and  bowed  to  our  balcony.  Met  the  King 
and  Queen  at  the  Art  Exhibition,  and  the  Queen  came 
over  and  talked  with  Alice  and  the  children  while  I 
talked  with  the  King.  This  was  at  3  P.M.  The  syndic 
sent  me  a  box  for  the  opera  —  gala  performance.  The 
house  is  really  a  gem,  and  only  lighted  by  candles, 
most  becoming.  The  royal  box  is  very  wide  and 
handsome. 

"  May  19.  —  Since  the  departure  of  the  special  St. 
Louis  Commissioner,  I  have  been  working  hard  to  get 
the  Italian  Government  to  reconsider  their  adverse 
action  as  to  taking  part  in  the  St.  Louis  Exhibition. 


1903}  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  73 

"  To-day  Admiral  Morin,  Minister  of  Foreign  Af 
fairs,  informed  me  that  at  the  meeting  of  the  Cabinet 
they  had  voted  to  take  part  and  appropriate  500,000 
lire.  He  also  thought  that  they  would  assign  a  naval 
vessel  for  the  transportation. 

"  This  was  very  satisfactory  as  Mr. had  given 

up  the  job." 

The  remaining  days  of  May  and  most  of  June 
were  filled  with  occupations  so  similar  in  general  char 
acter  to  those  already  described  in  passages  taken  from 
the  journals  that  no  useful  purpose  will  be  served  by 
further  detailed  quotations  from  them.  But  before 
following  Meyer  to  the  Kiel  yacht  races  at  the  end 
of  June,  when  he  sailed  one  day  with  the  Kaiser  on 
the  Meteor,  and  noted  a  conversation  of  no  small  sig 
nificance,  it  is  worth  while  to  take  a  single  passage 
from  the  diary  at  Turin,  on  June  11.  Many  gaieties 
attending  the  races,  with  all  the  special  opportunities 
for  enjoying  them  which  the  cordial  hospitality  of  the 
Duke  and  Duchess  of  Aosta  afforded,  were  in  prog 
ress. 

In  the  midst  of  it  all  this  note  of  ill  omen  is  struck: 
"  At  the  race  course  we  hear  that  the  King  and  Queen 
of  Servia  and  all  the  household  have  been  murdered. 
It  seemed  as  though  it  must  be  the  fourteenth  instead 
of  the  twentieth  century."  The  arrangements  for  a 
ball  two  days  later  were  cancelled ;  otherwise  the  round 
of  pleasures  went  on,  as  if  Europe  were  not  already 
smouldering  before  the  destined  conflagration.  In  the 
Kaiser's  talk  at  Kiel  there  is  some  intimation  of  it. 


74  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

The  journals  for  the  days  in  Kiel  (June  25  -  July  1) 
record  Meyer's  first  meeting  with  the  German  Em 
press,  —  "  very  handsome,  dignified  and  well  dressed, 
but  appears  older  than  the  Kaiser,"  —  the  launching 
of  a  German  man-of-war,  a  race  on  the  American 
yacht  Navahoe,  a  breakfast  with  the  Emperor  and 
Empress  on  the  Royal  Yacht  Hohenzollern,  and  the 
following:  — 

ff  June  30.  —  Reach  the  Yacht  Meteor  at  7.09 
A.M.  The  Emperor  being  behind  me  in  his  gig,  I  go 
to  the  port  side  and  get  on  deck  just  before  the  Em 
peror  comes  alongside,  sharp  at  7.10  A.M.  He  shakes 
hands  and  greets  all  in  turn  in  a  hearty  spirit.  Fine 
morning,  and  everything  promises  for  a  splendid 
race.  On  board  Prince  Henry,  Admirals  von  Tirpitz 

and  Eisendecker,  Mr.  Armour,  Professor ,  and 

A.D.C.'s. 

"  As  we  start  I  go  down  into  the  saloon  by  invita 
tion  of  Prince  Henry  while  he  eats  his  breakfast;  how 
ever,  get  on  deck  in  time  to  see  us  go  through  the 
American  and  German  fleet.  Admiral  Cotton  was  on 
the  stern  of  the  Kearsarge  to  hail  the  Emperor,  and 
the  Emperor  wished  him  a  pleasant  voyage  and  made 
a  joke  as  he  passed.  All  the  ships,  both  American 
and  German,  cheered  as  we  passed.  As  there  were 
four  American  and  sixteen  German  vessels,  it  was 
quite  impressive. 

"  Made  a  good  start,  and  began  our  race,  manned 
entirely  by  German  officers  and  sailors. 

"  Both  the  Emperor  and  Prince  Henry  were  in 
great  spirits,  like  two  men  off  for  a  holiday.  We  told 


1908}  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  75 

stories,  and  I  found  them  most  appreciative  of  a  good 
joke. 

"During  the  morning  the  Emperor  sat  down 
beside  me,  and  we  had  a  long  and  interesting  chat 
about  various  things  and  matters. 

"  He  spoke  of  having  been  down  to  the  Mediter 
ranean  while  Queen  Victoria  (his  Grandmother,  he 
called  her)  was  reigning,  and  Salisbury  was  Premier. 
He  talked  with  the  English  Admiral,  and  asked  what 
he  should  do  in  case  of  war,  and  if  the  French  fleet 
should  attack  him.  The  Admiral  replied,  '  Run  for 
Gibraltar.'  Kaiser  said  that  was  not  his  idea.  He 
said,  *  You  should  make  an  alliance  with  Italy,'  and 
told  the  Admiral,  *  if  you  like,  I  will  make  a  report 
on  the  Mediterranean  situation  to  my  Grandmother.' 

"  This,  he  told  me,  he  did  at  great  detail  and 
trouble,  and  Salisbury  practically  paid  no  attention 
to  it.  '  The  English,'  he  said,  '  move  so  slowly.  They 
should  have  had  a  complete  scheme  how  to  act,  where 
to  have  their  base,  in  case  of  trouble.  As  it  was,  noth 
ing  was  planned.  Italy  was  the  nation  England  should 
have  made  a  close  alliance  with.' 

"  The  Emperor  was  very  amusing  about  his  visit 
at  the  Quirinal  and  the  entertainment  at  the  Capitol." 

Meyer's  summer  of  1903  in  America  was  like  the 
others  for  which  he  had  returned  from  Italy,  in  its 
blending  of  politics,  business,  and  society.  On  one  of 
its  days,  July  15,  he  wrote  in  his  journal:  "Sit  up 
until  one  o'clock,  talking  with  Lodge,  giving  him  the 
result  of  my  information  obtained  by  my  talking  with 


76  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

the  business  men,  which  he  is  to  impart  to  the  Presi 
dent  next  day."  A  few  days  later  he  visited  Oyster 
Bay  himself,  and  was  gratified  by  the  President's  ex- 
pressions  of  satisfaction  with  his  work  as  Ambassador. 

After  rejoining  his  family  in  London  at  the  end  of 
September,  many  pleasures  in  London,  Paris,  and 
Turin  intervened  before  reaching  Rome  less  than  a 
month  later.  At  Paris,  on  October  13,  on  the  eve  of 
the  arrival  of  the  King  and  Queen  of  Italy  for  an 
official  visit  to  President  Loubet,  he  wrote  in  his  diary: 
"  Receive  a  telegram  from  Iddings  that  the  Tsar  has 
given  up  his  trip  to  Rome.  Nelidow,  Russian  Am 
bassador,  suddenly  advised  his  not  coming,  because 
nervous  and  seems  to  have  lost  his  head."  This  matter 
formed  the  topic  of  some  remarks  from  the  King  of 
Italy  a  few  weeks  later,  when  Meyer  and  his  family 
were  summoned  from  Pisa  on  November  5,  to  pass 
the  next  day  with  the  King  and  Queen  at  the  Chateau 
at  San  Rossore,  hard  by,  where  Meyer  and  the  King 
were  to  have  a  "  chasse."  The  diary  records  an  inter 
esting  day. 

"  November  6.  -  -  The  girls  are  much  excited  over 
our  visit.  All  get  up  at  seven  in  order  to  be  at  the 
Chateau  at  nine  prompt,  as  the  King  is  always  on 
time.  We  reach  San  Rossore  at  9  A.M.,  but  the  King 
and  Queen  are  already  standing  outside  the  door  with 
their  auto  and  their  attendants,  General  Corsini,  and 
Calabrini,  and  Count  Brambilla.  After  we  salute  and 
shake  hands  with  the  King  and  Queen,  the  King  gets 
into  the  auto  with  me,  the  chauffeur  and  my  daughter 
Alice  behind;  Alice  and  my  daughter  Julia  in  the  auto 


KING    VICTOR    EMMANUEL    III    AND    THE    AMERICAN    AMBASSA 
DOR SAN    ROSSORE,    NOVEMBER,    1003 


19031  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  77 

with  the  Queen.  We  fly  around  part  of  the  park, 
which  is  very  extensive  (20,000  acres)  and  then  go  to 
the  stables.  The  King,  General  Corsini,  and  myself 
get  on  our  horses,  Alice  drives  with  the  Queen  in  a 
two-wheel  gig,  and  the  girls  in  another  by  themselves. 
We  proceed  to  make  an  excursion  through  the  woods, 
which  are  quite  dense  and  full  of  game.  We  drove 
all  the  way  to  the  sea,  seeing  Leghorn  in  the  distance, 
and  at  one  time  Pisa. 

"We  had  no  sooner  got  on  our  horses  than  the 
King  remarked  that  my  colleague  (Nelidow,  Russian 
Ambassador)  had  made  a  mess  of  it  in  advising  the 
Tsar  not  to  come  to  Rome  (in  consequence  of  which 
Nelidow  was  no  longer  persona  grata),  and  he  had 
asked  to  have  him  recalled,  and  that  Prince  Our- 
oussow,  now  Ambassador  at  Paris,  had  been  ap 
pointed.  The  King  really  felt  very  strongly  on  the 
matter,  as  the  Italian  police  and  the  Russian  police 
had  pronounced  it  safe.  Nelidow  lost  his  head  and 
asked  the  Government  to  give  a  guaranty,  and  even 
went  so  far  as  to  request  that  the  King  should  give  a 
personal  guaranty.  The  King  replied  that  he  was  not 
the  prefet  of  the  police,  but  that  he  would  place  him 
self  between  the  Tsar  and  all  danger.  Nelidow  an 
nounced  that  it  was  satisfactory,  but  a  few  days  later 
he  went  to  the  Consulta  and  told  the  Minister  of  For 
eign  Affairs  that  he  had  advised  his  ruler  not  to  come, 
as  the  guaranties  were  not  sufficient.  The  King  went 
on  to  show  the  difference  between  Russian  and  Italian 
methods,  drawing  attention  to  the  fact  that  Italy  was 
practically  a  free  and  constitutional  country;  said  the 


78  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Tsar  knew  nothing  about  what  was  going  on  and  did 
not  even  open  his  own  letters.  Zanardelli  resigned 
on  account  of  ill  health,  not  because  of  the  Tsar's 
action. 

"  We  all  lunched  with  the  King  and  Queen,  Alice 
on  his  right  and  Marchesa  Calabrini  on  his  left.  I 
was  on  the  right  of  the  Queen  and  General  Vaglia  on 
her  left.  The  others  at  table  were  General  Corsini, 
General  Brusati,  on  Alice's  left  Comte  di  Brambilla, 
on  my  right  my  daughters  Julia  and  Alice,  Marquis 
Calabrini,  Count  Tozzoni,  and  two  other  gentlemen- 
in-waiting. 

*  There  were  as  many  servants  in  scarlet  livery  as 
there  were  guests,  and  I  noticed  between  the  courses 
they  all  went  out  of  the  room,  which  made  conversation 
much  easier  than  if  a  servant  was  standing  behind 
every  chair.  The  conversation  became  quite  general, 
the  Queen  chaffing  the  King  about  getting  up  at  6.30, 
singing  and  waking  every  one  else  up.  It  was  carried 
on  chiefly  in  French.  After  lunch  the  Queen  took 
photographs  of  the  different  groups.  The  electric 
auto  was  brought  out,  the  King  and  Queen  taking 
turns  in  running  and  giving  us  a  ride.  Then  General 
Corsini  showed  the  stallions,  which  I  could  see  bored 
the  King  and  Queen.  At  2.30  we  went  to  the  wood 
and  had  a  pheasant  drive.  My  stand  was  next  to  the 
King.  It  was  very  agreeable  shooting.  We  were 
only  allowed  to  kill  the  male  birds. 

"  After  that  we  took  the  auto,  going  to  the  beach 
to  have  afternoon  tea;  and  the  two  princesses  were 
brought  out,  Yolande  and  Mafalda,  very  cunning  and 


1908]  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  79 

healthy.  The  King  took  me  into  his  chalet  to  study 
maps.  It  is  very  simply  furnished,  and  they  live  in  it 
quite  alone  without  any  of  the  Court. 

"  At  five  o'clock  we  took  our  leave  in  the  auto 
mobile.  The  King  and  Queen  wrote  in  Julia's  auto 
graph  book." 

International  and  personal  affairs  are  touched  upon 
in  the  journal  for  the  rest  of  1903,  from  which  a  few 
of  the  more  interesting  passages  are  the  following:  - 

"November  24.  —  Call  on  Tittoni,  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs,  who  has  just  returned  from  London. 
Talk  with  him  about  recognizing  the  new  Republic  of 
Panama,  which  Italy  is  quite  prepared  to  do,  and 
expressed  themselves  quite  in  sympathy  with  the  Presi 
dent's  action  and  in  no  way  opposed,  realizing  the 
benefit  the  world's  commerce  would  receive;  merely 
waiting  to  act  in  conjunction  with  England  and 
France. 

"November  30.  —  Go  to  the  hunt  and  ride  my 
horse,  Ruby.  After  15  minutes  the  whip  gives  the 
hallo,  'Tally-ho,  hark-away!'  and  one  of  the  best 
runs  that  I  have  ever  seen  gives  promise  by  every 
indication.  The  fox  makes  a  straight  line  towards 
Albano,  with  the  hounds  well  bunched  and  lining  out; 
Ludovico  Lante  put  his  horse  at  a  staccionata  of  three 
bars,  and  I  followed  him,  which  gave  us  a  lead  of  the 
field  and  we  were  soon  up  with  the  hounds,  going 
over  hill  and  dale,  taking  stone  walls  and  staccionate 
as  they  came.  We  had  run  for  about  half  an  hour 
when  we  came  to  a  very  stiff  post  and  rail  (stac- 


80  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V903 

cionata)  which  I  put  my  horse  Ruby  at,  as  in  two 
years  he  had  never  touched  a  thing,  when,  with  a  rap 
on  the  top  bars,  we  both  turned  a  somersault,  landing 
on  our  heads,  the  horse  falling  across  my  chest  and 
stomach  and  pinning  me  to  the  ground.  He  tried  to 
roll  over  me,  but  although  almost  knocked  out,  I  put 
up  the  one  knee  that  was  free  and  he,  feeling  resist 
ance,  rolled  the  other  way,  getting  up  and  leaving  me 
flat  on  my  back  on  the  wet  ground.  I  was  unable 
to  move  for  minutes,  the  wind  having  been  knocked 
out  of  me.  Count  Fraseo  fortunately  came  up,  put 
my  hat  under  my  head  and  unbuttoned  my  coat  and 
vest.  After  ten  minutes  I  was  able  to  get  up,  stiff 
and  thoroughly  shaken  by  the  fall.  Captain  Bodrero 
came  along  with  a  groom  on  Monteondi's  horse;  the 
groom  dismounted,  and  with  some  difficulty  I  was  able 
to  get  on  the  horse  and  have  him  lead  him  to  the  meet, 
where,  after  a  glass  of  brandy,  I  got  into  my  carriage 
and  went  back  to  Palazzo  Brancaccio  and  got  to  bed 
so  stiff  that  I  could  hardly  move,  thoroughly  wet  and 
chilled,  as  it  was  a  heavy  rainstorm. 

"  Doctor  Montichiari  came  round  and  examined 
me ;  nothing  broken,  only  stiff  and  bruised. 

"  December  13.  -  -  William  Jennings  Bryan,  Dem 
ocratic  candidate  for  President  against  William  Mc- 
Kinley,  called  this  morning  with  his  son  and  Mr. 
Curtis,  correspondent  of  the  Associated  Press.  Bryan 
looks  well  and  has  grown  fat.  He  has  an  audience 
with  the  Pope  at  3  o'clock,  and  he  is  coming  to  lunch. 
I  told  him  that,  had  he  let  me  know  that  he  was  com 
ing,  I  could  have  arranged  an  audience  for  him  with 


1904}  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  81 

the  King;  but  as  he  is  leaving  to-night  it  would  be  im 
possible.  He  said,  '  Could  not  I  call  on  him  (the 
King)  to-night?'" 

Before  the  end  of  the  year  premonitory  rumblings 
of  war  between  Russia  and  Japan  began  to  be  heard. 
On  December  26  Meyer  found  himself,  with  the 
French  and  Austrian  Ambassadors,  dining  at  the 
German  Embassy,  and  wrote  in  his  journal:  "  Sur 
prised  to  find  that  their  personal  and  private  sym 
pathy  seemed  to  be  with  Japan  if  war  should  come 
with  Russia."  Early  in  the  new  year,  1904,  there  are 
constant  references  to  the  subject  —  as  in  the  note  of 
January  18:  "Cable  Hay  that  the  Russian  Ambassa 
dor  had  told  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  that  he 
did  not  consider  the  questions  between  Russia  and 
Japan  matters  of  arbitration  or  mediation."  The  im 
pending  struggle  could  not  be  ignored  even  on  a  day 
such  as  that  of  which  the  record  follows. 

"January  4,  1904.  —  Hunting  with  the  King  and 
Queen. 

"  Was  at  the  Palazzo  Reale  at  8  o'clock  sharp,  with 
my  auto,  as  was  Prince  Sonnino  with  his.  At  eight 
sharp  we  start,  General  Euriglio  Ponzio  Vaglia  with 
me  —  second  aide-de-camp;  the  King  and  Queen  and 
Duchess  d'Ascoli  in  another;  Calabrini  with  Prospero 
Colonna,  and  the  rest  in  the  King's  second  auto,  which 
General  Brusati  had  in  charge.  We  reached  Castel 
Porziano  in  an  hour,  and  immediately  went  to  our 
stands,  the  King  and  Queen  in  one,  I  in  the  next,  and 
Colonna  adjoining.  We  were  the  only  ones  that  got 


82  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

anything;  the  King  killed  five  boars  and  six  deer,  and 
I  got  three  very  large  boars,  and  Colonna  two.  After 
the  shoot  the  King  got  into  my  auto  with  me  and  we 
went  to  the  beach  on  the  Mediterranean.  I  had  a 
walk,  talking  about  the  prospects  of  war  between 
Russia  and  Japan.  At  12.30  we  had  lunch  in  a  little 
house  on  the  beach.  Everything  was  placed  on  the 
table,  the  hot  dishes  in  casseroles  which  had  been 
brought  from  Rome.  The  King  sat  at  the  head  of  the 
table,  the  Queen  on  his  left  and  I  on  his  right,  Pros- 
pero  Colonna  on  my  right,  and  Duchess  d'Ascoli  on 
the  Queen's  left.  No  servants  in  the  way,  and  we 
helped  ourselves.  The  Queen  said  she  liked  it  better 
thus,  more  like  a  picnic.  Very  informal  and  bright 
and  gay.  The  Queen  and  Duchess  d'Ascoli  returned 
with  me  to  Rome  in  my  automobile." 

A  few  typical  entries  for  ensuing  days  are  the  fol 
lowing:  - 

ff  January  11.  —  King  and  Queen  opened  the  ex 
hibition  of  the  American  Academy.  They  came 
promptly  at  10  A.M.,  accompanied  by  General  Bru- 
sati,  Duke  and  Duchess  d'Ascoli.  Prince  Sonnino 
and  Signer  Tittoni  also  attended. 

"  The  King  and  Queen  were  received  by  Mr.  Mow- 
bray,1  myself,  and  Alice  at  the  door,  and  escorted  to 
the  exhibition.  They  were  much  interested  and  stayed 
about  an  hour.  Part  of  the  time  I  escorted  the  King, 
and  later  the  Queen.  It  has  given  a  great  boom  to 
the  Academy,  and  is  the  third  time  that  such  a  thing 

iH.  Siddons  Mowbray,  of  the  American  Academy. 


1904]  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  83 

has  happened  in  Italy.  The  heads  of  the  other  acad 
emies  all  attended. 

"Very  successful  dinner  in  the  evening,  given  by 
Mowbray,  at  which  was  present  the  Italian  Ambassa 
dor  at  Washington,  Mayor  des  Planches. 

"February  1.  —  Call  for  H.R.H.  the  Duchess 
of  Aosta  at  the  Royal  Palace  at  10.30,  in  my  automo 
bile,  to  take  her  to  the  meet  at  '  La  Pisano.'  Looked 
very  stormy,  but  stopped  raining  at  11  o'clock.  She 
rode  my  horse,  Vieux  Marcheur.  All  the  officers  of 
the  Tor  di  Quinto  were  presented.  Photographers  very 
busy  with  their  machines.  The  attendance  light  on 
account  of  the  weather.  The  Duchess  jumped  a  post 
rail  in  great  form,  which  I  had  already  taken.  We 
had  a  short  run  of  30  minutes  and  at  half -past  three 
we  went  back  in  my  auto  and  arrived  at  the  Royal 
Palace  at  4.15.  She  looked  beautifully  on  horse 
back. 

"  Alice  and  I  in  the  evening  went  to  a  ball  in  the 
Venetia  Palace  given  by  Austrian  Ambassador *  to  the 
Pope. 

ff  February  6.  —  Diplomatic  relations  with  Russia 
broken  off  by  Japan.  Japan  has  been  very  patient 
and  Russia  has  been  giving  evasive  answers,  and  to 
Japan's  last  inquiry  has  put  her  off  for  three  weeks. 
All  the  meantime  she  has  been  sending  forward  troops 
and  ammunition,  which  made  it  evident  she  was  play 
ing  for  time.  Japan  felt  she  must  strike  now  or  never. 

"Russia  very  much  surprised,  thought  she  could 
[go]  on  with  her  game  of  procrastination. 

i  Count  Szecsen. 


84  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

"  Sympathy  here  with  Japan. 

"  February  8.  —  Japanese  attack  Port  Arthur, 
evidently  take  the  Russians  by  surprise  and  torpedo 
three  of  their  best  battle-ships.  This  is  of  the  greatest 
importance,  as  it  gives  them  a  tremendous  advantage 
on  the  seas  and  will  enable  them  to  transport  troops 
safely  to  Korea." 

On  February  9  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meyer  left  Rome  for 
Berlin,  in  answer  to  an  invitation  from  the  American 
Ambassador,  Mr.  Charlemagne  Tower,  to  meet  the 
Kaiser  at  dinner.  "  I  had  a  long  talk  with  him  after 
dinner,"  Mr.  Meyer  wrote  (February  11)  in  his  diary, 
"  about  the  Russian  and  Japanese  war  —  most  inter 
esting,  his  view,"  of  which  more  details  are  given  in 
a  later  entry.  Within  the  next  few  days  the  Meyers 
saw  something  of  the  more  sumptuous  aspects  of  Ger 
man  life,  through  attending  two  Court  Balls,  described 
in  the  following  notes :  - 

"February  12.  —  We  called  for  the  Towers  at  8 
P.M.,  and  they  took  us  to  the  Royal  Palace  with  an 
outrider  on  horseback.  The  White  Room  with 
the  throne,  where  the  ball  was  held,  has  been 
done  over  by  the  Emperor  —  very  handsome  —  gold 
ceiling.  Only  Ambassadors  and  their  wives  and 
the  most  important  of  the  German  Court  [were 
there]. 

"  We  had  supper  in  the  Emperor's  room,  and  I 
sat  at  Chancellor  von  Billow's  table,  and  took  in 
Madame  (Grafin)  Warlinsleben.  Alice  was  in  the 
same  room,  at  the  Princess  Feodora's  table,  and  Ad 
miral  von  Senden-Bibran  took  her  in  to  supper.  The 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  85 

room  was  hung  with  pictures  of  all  the  Empresses.  In 
all  800  people  sat  down  to  supper  at  small  tables. 

"  The  ball  was  beautiful  —  every  one  in  uniforms 
of  the  richest  colours.  Before  the  dancing *  commenced, 
the  Emperor  talked  with  the  Ambassadresses,  and 
then  with  the  Ambassadors.  He  talked  so  long  with 
Tower  and  myself  that  the  papers  mentioned  it  the 
next  morning.  I  danced  with  the  Princess  Daisy  von 
Pless,  and  the  Emperor  complimented  me  on  my 
dancing.  I  had  another  opportunity  to  have  a  long 
talk  with  him,  standing  beside  the  throne,  and  told 
him  of  the  intention  of  the  Eastern  Yacht  Club  to 
offer  a  prize  for  German  and  American  yachts.  He 
asked  me  to  write  it  out.  The  ball  was  finished  by  a 
very  pretty  figure  at  1  A.M.,  when  every  one  dancing 
came  forward  at  the  same  moment,  bowed  and  curtsied 
to  the  Emperor.  Just  before  the  ball  ended,  the  Em 
peror  came  and  stood  beside  Alice  and  talked  to  her. 

"February  16.  —  Go  to  our  second  Court  Ball  — 
twice  as  many  people  there  this  time,  and  the  entire 
Corps  Diplomatique;  also  the  Princess  Fiirstenberg 
and  the  Princess  Fiirstenberg  von  Fiirstenberg  —  both 
very  handsome  women,  with  beautiful  jewels  —  rather 
rare  at  the  German  Court.  Unfortunately  the  Em 
press  could  not  come  on  account  of  her  health,  or 
Prince  and  Princess  Henry  an  account  of  their  child. 

iln  a  letter  to  her  children  about  this  ball,  Mrs.  Meyer  wrote  as 
follows  of  some  of  the  dancing :  "  The  quadrilles  and  minuets,  led  by  the 
Crown  Prince,  were  beautifully  and  solemnly  danced.  When  the  Kaiser 
came  to  his  seat  during  the  evening,  I  took  pleasure  in  saying  what 
enjoyment  it  was  to  witness  those  courtly  dances.  He  said  he  had  them 
learned  for  the  deportment  of  the  rising  generation — not  for  pleasure, 
but  for  serious  duty." 


86  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

*  The  Emperor  talked  a  long  time  with  the  Russian 
Ambassador  *  at  the  other  end  of  the  room,  which  de 
layed  the  dancing.  The  Russian  Ambassador  left  the 
ball  with  his  suite  as  soon  as  the  Emperor  stopped 
talking  with  him.  The  Japanese  Legation  stayed. 
The  music  started  as  soon  as  the  old  Russian  Ambas 
sador  had  left.  Later  in  the  evening  the  Emperor 
came  and  shook  hands  with  Mrs.  Tower,  and  then 
nodded  for  me  to  come  forward,  shaking  hands  and 
keeping  me  beside  him.  He  then  commenced  to  re 
late  a  good  deal  of  his  conversation  with  the  Russian 
Ambassador,  who,  he  said,  was  uncertain  as  to  the 
wisdom  of  accepting  Hay's  proposition  of  the  coun 
tries  that  signed  the  Pekin  protocol  to  agree  to  the 
neutrality  of  China.  The  Emperor  told  the  Ambassa 
dor  to  wire  the  Tsar  and  say  that  he,  the  Emperor, 
thought  it  most  important  for  Russia.  The  Emperor 
then  went  on  to  say  that  he  had  advices  that  Japan 
was  urging  China  on  through  certain  channels;  Russia 
had  not  yet  waked  up  to  the  present  Oriental  power. 

"  His  Majesty  also  seemed  very  much  pleased  with 
the  President's  message  —  congratulations  on  his  in 
itiative  in  the  neutrality  of  China. 

"  Later  I  waltzed  with  Princess  Daisy  von  Pless 
at  the  Emperor's  suggestion,  and  he  told  me  that  he 
had  never  seen  a  civilian  dance  so  well.  (In  Germany 
they  think  only  Army  men  can  do  anything.)  ' 

A  series  of  miscellaneous  passages  from  the  diary 
may  speak  for  some  of  Mr.  Meyer's  chief  con- 

i  Count  Osten-Sacken. 


1904}  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  87 

cerns  during  the  months  following  the  visit  to 
Berlin. 

(f  February  26.  —  General  Ricciotti  Garibaldi,  the 
son  of  the  great  Garibaldi,  called  upon  me,  and  stated 
that  he  had  been  with  Saranoff  while  the  latter  was  in 
Italy,  and  that  he  had  said  that  it  would  be  a  gratifica 
tion  to  the  Macedonians  if  the  United  States  would 
act  as  arbitrator  in  the  matters  between  Turkey  and 
Macedonia.  I  replied  that,  as  he  had  come  officially  I 
could  only  hear  what  he  might  have  to  say  without 
giving  [formal]  expression  to  his  wishes.  As  a  matter 
of  information,  I  then  inquired  if  all  the  parties  in 
interest  to  the  treaty  of  Berlin  were  in  accord  with 
him  on  the  matter.  His  reply  was  that  England, 
France,  Italy,  and  even  Russia  would  accept,  but  not 
Germany  or  Austria.  When  I  suggested  that  arbi 
tration  would  be  out  of  the  question  unless  all  powers 
agreed  to  it,  the  point  was  avoided  by  his  referring 
to  our  government's  action  as  to  Chinese  neutrality 
and  limiting  the  sphere  of  war  between  Japan  and 
Russia. 

"March  3.  —  The  Chinese  Minister,  Hsu  Keoh, 
called  on  me  to-day  to  express  his  gratification  at  the 
exercise  of  the  good  offices  of  the  Government  at 
Washington  in  connection  with  maintaining  the  neu 
trality  of  China,  and  to  say  that  he  hoped  our  friend 
ship  would  continue  after. 

ft  March  24.  —  At  10  o'clock  receive  a  telegram 
from  Hofmarshal  von  Lyncker  to  come  and  dine  with 
the  Emperor  at  8  o'clock  Friday,  on  board  the  Hohen- 
zollern  in  Naples. 


88  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

"  March  25.—  Take  the  8.10  train  for  Naples 
and  arrive  at  1.35.  Go  straight  to  the  Hotel 
Vesuve. 

"An  A.D.C.  called  to  say  that  we  should  wear 
black  ties  at  dinner.  At  7.45  I  found  the  launch 
waiting  for  me  at  the  arsenal.  Hofmarshal  von 
Lyncker  was  waiting  at  the  head  of  the  gang-way, 
and  von  Chelius  escorted  me  to  the  Emperor,  who 
was  talking  with  Monsignor  King,  the  head  of  the 
Monte  Casino  Monastery.  At  8  o'clock  sharp  we  went 
in  to  dinner  and  I  sat  on  the  right  of  the  Emperor 
and  King  on  his  left.  I  gave  Alice's  message  to  H.M. 
about  the  beautiful  Berlin  balls,  and  later  he  said, 
*  I  want  to  send  to  your  wife  some  of  these  magnifi 
cent  Neapolitan  pinks  which  are  on  the  table,'  and 
later  in  the  evening  he  remembered  to  do  it.  The 
Emperor  seemed  in  splendid  health  again  and  his 
voice  as  strong  as  ever.  We  had  quite  a  talk  about 
the  war,  the  growth  of  Berlin,  and  the  deceptive  policy 
of  Russian  diplomacy.  No  one  sat  down  after  dinner, 
but  I  have  got  used  to  that. 

"Among  those  at  dinner:  Prince  Fiirstenberg, 
General  von  Plessen,  and  von  Grimier. 

ff  March  27.  —  Leave  Naples  in  auto  ( Hotel 
Vesuve)  at  8.30  A.M.  Arrive  at  Monte  Casino  at 
12,  having  taken  eighteen  minutes  to  ascend  the  hill 
into  the  Monastery.  Monsignor  King  had  invited  me 
as  we  were  leaving  the  Hohenzollern.  My  card  being 
taken  up,  we  were  escorted  to  the  Cathedral  and  led 
up  to  the  choir,  where  the  Prior  came  out  and  invited 
me  to  stay  to  breakfast  and  informed  me  that  Mon- 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  89 

signer  King  would  be  out  shortly,  as  soon  as  Mass 
was  over. 

'  The  breakfast  was  most  interesting,  as  the  monks 
were  seated  around  the  room  with  the  chairs  backed 
up  to  the  wall  and  the  table  in  front.  One  sees  every 
one  in  the  room  at  a  glance.  A  prayer  was  chanted 
before  we  began  to  eat,  and  did  not  finish  until  a  bell 
was  rung.  Then  we  began  to  eat  and  talk.  The  same 
thing  happened  at  the  end  of  the  meal  except  that  we 
stood  up.  Passed  three  hours  in  the  Monastery.  Left 
at  3  P.M.;  arrive  in  Rome  at  8  P.M. 

"April  20.  —  Have  an  audience  with  the  King, 
in  order  to  present  him  with  the  new  rifle  of  our  army 
and  with  the  compliments  of  President  Roosevelt.  His 
Majesty  found  the  rifle  too  heavy,  short  in  the  stock, 
and  a  poor  style  of  bayonet,  which  he  said  was  also 
the  fault  of  the  Italian  army  rifle.  He  was  much 
interested  in  the  work  which  was  to  begin  on  the 
Panama  Canal,  and  wanted  to  know  if  the  plans  were 
to  be  changed  materially;  asked  what  was  to  be  done 
about  Hayti,  and  said  a  few  of  our  troops  there  would 
settle  the  country.  Complained  of  the  actions  of  the 
Venezuela  Government  and  their  treatment  of  Bowen; 
also  called  to  my  attention  that  Indians  in  our  coun 
try  were  now  increasing. 

fe  April  24.  —  President  Loubet  arrived. 

"  Saw  the  entrance  into  Rome,  which  was  very 
well  done,  in  beautiful  carriages  even  better  turned 
out  than  when  the  Emperor  arrived.  The  suite  of 
Loubet,  however,  is  not  to  be  compared  with  the 
Emperor's. 


90  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

"  I  was  surprised  however  to  find  what  a  small 
man  the  French  President  is,  not  as  tall  as  the  King 
of  Italy. 

"  Quite  a  representative  body  at  the  American 
Church:  English  Ambassador1  and  Lady  Feodore 
Bertie,  the  Japanese  Minister,  some  Russians,  the  Ser 
vian  Minister,  the  Austrian  Ambassador  to  the  Pope, 
and  his  wife,  Count  and  Countess  Somssich. 

"  May  21.  —  The  French  Ambassador  to  the  Vati 
can,  Nisard,  was  recalled  on  account  of  the  protest 
of  the  Vatican  to  the  French  Government  and  the 
Roman  Catholic  powers  upon  Loubet's  (the  French 
President's)  visit  to  the  King  of  Italy  in  Rome. 
Merry  del  Val,  the  Secretary  of  the  Vatican,  is  blamed. 

"May  25.  —  Had  an  audience  with  the  King  of 
Italy  which  lasted  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  He 
talked  very  interestingly  about  the  Japanese  and  Rus 
sian  War.  Spoke  of  the  corruption  in  Russia  and 
the  wonderful  progress  of  the  Japs  and  their  organi 
zation.  Public  sentiment  and  publicity  were  a  great 
safeguard  to  public  morale  in  England,  America,  and 
Italy.  No  such  publicity  existed  in  Russia,  conse 
quently  corruption  was  concealed  and  the  country  suf 
fered  thereby.  Expected  to  see  Russian  army  anni 
hilated." 

The  Republican  National  Convention  of  1904,  at 
which  Theodore  Roosevelt  was  renominated  for  the 
presidency,  brought  Mr.  Meyer,  still  the  Massachu- 

iSir  Francis  Bertie,  afterwards  Lord  Bertie,  British  Ambassador  to 
France  during  the  war. 


1904}  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  91 

setts  member  of  the  Republican  National  Committee, 
to  America  earlier  than  in  the  previous  summers  of 
his  term  abroad.  The  second  half  of  June  was  crowded 
with  political  and  other  engagements;  in  July  there 
was  escape  from  pressure  in  salmon-fishing  at  the 
Restigouche  Club  in  Canada;  in  August  at  Newport, 
in  the  midst  of  many  pleasures,  he  was  making  ar 
rangements  with  his  brother-in-law,  Charles  F.  Mc- 
Kim,  and  Mr.  Walter  Mowbray  for  the  purchase  of 
the  Villa  Mirafiori  on  behalf  of  the  American  Acad 
emy  in  Rome.  Altogether  it  was  a  busy  and  profitable 
summer,  of  which  the  chiefs  events  are  related  with 
some  detail  in  the  diary. 

fe  June  14.  —  Arrive  at  quarantine  at  7.30.  Gov 
ernor  Odell  takes  me  in  the  government  tug  up  to  23d 
Street,  and  I  arrive  at  the  Knickerbocker  Club  at 
9  P.M.  Dine  with  Bob  Bacon,  Whitney  Warren,  and 
Winty  Chanler  at  Martin's. 

"  Decide  to  take  the  '  20th  Century '  express  next 
day  for  Chicago. 

"  June  15.  —  Lunch  at  Sherry's  with  Winty  Chan 
ler,  Whitney  Warren,  Bordie  Harriman,  L.  Beeck- 
man,  and  Charley  Wetmore. 

"  Take  the  2.45  '  Century  '  for  Chicago.  On  the 
train  Charley  Dawes  and  John  Barrett,  Minister  to 
Panama.  Dawes  tells  me  that  they  want  me  to  go 
on  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  National  Com 
mittee. 

ff  June  16.  —  Reach  Chicago  at  9.45  A.M.  Leave 
my  luggage  at  the  Auditorium  and  go  direct  to  the 
meeting  of  the  Republican  National  Committee  in  the 


92  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Coliseum.  Payne  was  presiding.  Consider  the  con 
tested  question  of  Louisiana  and  Mississippi. 

"Dine  in  the  evening  with  Governor  Herrick  of 
Ohio,  Governor  Murphy,  and  Mr.  George  Peck. 
After  dinner  go  to  the  theatre,  to  see  the  *  Wizard  of 
Oz.'  In  the  play  there  is  a  very  amusing  song  called 
*  Sammy '  which  is  always  sung  to  some  one  in  a  box. 
This  time  it  was  Governor  Herrick,  which  amused  the 
audience. 

"June  17.  —  We  heard  the  Wisconsin  case  at  10 
o'clock  and  listened  to  the  evidence  until  6  P.M.  The 
evidence  was  very  much  in  favour  of  Senator  Spooner, 
and  we  unanimously  threw  out  the  Governor  La  Fol- 
lette  delegation  and  seated  the  Spooner  delegation. 

"  Called  up  the  White  House  on  the  long  distance, 
and  talked  with  the  President  about  the  opposition  to 
Cortelyou,  advised  Bliss  coming  on  as  soon  as  possible. 

"June  18.  —  Heard  New  York  and  Ohio  cases 
before  the  Committee. 

"Dined  with  Nicholas  Murray  Butler  and  Elihu 
Root,  who  is  to  be  temporary  chairman  and  make  the 
opening  speech. 

"  Got  a  long  telegram  from  the  President:  '  Please 
wire  me  in  full  about  opposition  to  Cortelyou.  People 
may  as  well  understand  that  if  I  am  to  run  for  Presi 
dent  Cortelyou  is  to  be  chairman  of  the  National  Com 
mittee.  I  will  not  have  it  any  other  way.  Please  give 
me  names  of  people  opposed  to  him,  and  you  are  wel 
come  to  tell  each  of  them  what  I  have  said.  The 
choice  of  Cortelyou  is  irrevocable,  and  I  will  not  con 
sider  any  other  man  for  the  position,  and  shall  treat 


1904]  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  93 

opposition  to  him  as  simply  disguised  opposition  to 
the  Republican  party.  In  other  words  I  regard  oppo 
sition  or  disloyalty  to  Mr.  Cortelyou  as  being  simply 
an  expression  of  disloyalty  to  the  Republican  party, 
precisely  as  the  same  would  have  been  true  of  Mr. 
Hanna  four  years  ago.  -  -  THEODORE  ROOSEVELT.' 

ffJune  19.  —  Mr.  Kohlsaat  gives  a  lunch  at  the 
Saddle  and  Cycle  Club  on  the  lake,  a  charming  place 
—  Mr.  Root,  Butler,  General  and  Mrs.  Grant,  Mr. 
Smith,  former  postmaster  [general],  Governor  and 
Mrs.  Herrick  of  Ohio,  Chauncey  Depew,  and  Walter 
Wellman.  There  were  many  good  stories  told  about 
President  Roosevelt. 

"  Held  an  important  meeting  about  Cortelyou  - 
5.30. 

"June  £0. -- Yesterday  afternoon  the  Massachu 
setts  delegation  arrived,  headed  by  Senator  Lodge;  ex- 
Governor  Crane,  ex-Governor  Long,  Collector  Lyman, 
Bob  Bacon,  and  others. 

"  I  distributed  the  tickets  for  the  Convention  to 
the  delegation. 

"  Go  to  the  station  and  meet  Mr.  Bliss,  Treasurer 
of  the  Finance  Committee,  and  post  him  as  to  the  op 
position  to  Cortelyou  for  chairman,  and  ask  him  to 
remain  absolutely  firm  as  to  the  choice  of  Cortelyou. 

"June  21.  —  Convention  called  at  12  o'clock.  Sec 
retary  Root,  the  temporary  chairman,  makes  a  re 
markably  eloquent  and  powerful  speech  which  is 
received  with  satisfaction  and  also  admiration. 

"  Go  to  a  dinner  of  about  70  people  at  the  Grand 
Pacific,  given  by  Tom  Walsh  of  Colorado  to  his  dele- 


94  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

gation.  The  table  was  the  shape  of  a  star,  with  a 
Governor  at  each  end.  On  the  right  of  the  host  was 
Speaker  Cannon,  and  on  his  left  myself.  The  dinner 
was  much  delayed,  and  we  only  sat  down  at  9  P.M. 
Cannon  speech  excellent,  the  others  very  dull. 

"June  22.  —  Second  day  of  the  Convention. 
Speaker  Cannon,  permanent  chairman,  makes  a  speech 
of  one  hour  and  a  half.  Very  little  excitement,  as 
everything  is  cut  and  dried  and  no  opposition  what 
ever  to  Roosevelt. 

"Senator  Lodge  reads  the  platform  —  which  is 
well  received.  Tariff  plan  satisfactory.  Reciprocity 
not  very  liberal  form. 

"June  23.  —  Reach  Washington  at  5.30  and  go 
straight  to  the  Metropolitan  Club;  find  a  telegram 
from  President  Roosevelt,  asking  me  to  dine  at 
8  P.M. 

6  Take  a  ride  in  the  electric  car  with  Dick  Peters 
—  into  the  country.  At  dinner  in  the  White  House 
was  Mrs.  Roosevelt  and  the  President,  Miss  Alice, 
Paul  Morton,  the  new  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  and 
Miss  Carow,  sister  of  Mrs.  Roosevelt.  Dinner  very 
pleasant.  The  President  was  most  interested  in  every 
thing  that  took  place  at  Chicago,  specially  about  the 
opposition  which  had  started  and  which  we  overcame, 
I  told  him,  on  account  of  his  firm  and  decided  tele 
gram  that  he  sent  me. 

"  Left  at  10.30.  He  then  asked  me  to  come  round 
to  lunch  the  next  day. 

"June  24.  —  Call  on  John  .Hay,  Secretary  of 
State;  found  him  looking  much  older,  but  in  better 


19041  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  95 

health  and  spirits.  Found  the  Secretary  of  War, 
Governor  Taft,  in  his  office,  in  great  form. 

"  Lunch  with  the  President  in  the  White  House  at 
1.30  —  Secretary  Moody,  young  Garfield,  Gus  Jay, 
Miss  Alice  Roosevelt,  and  myself. 

"  After  lunch  the  President  took  me  into  an  ad 
joining  room  and  said  that  he  intended  in  March  to 
make  me  a  Cabinet  officer,  or,  if  this  should  not  work 
out,  io  give  me  another  ambassadorship.  He  said,  '  I 
do  not  want  you  to  consider  this  a  promise,  because  a 
change  in  the  slate  often  makes  an  appointment  impos 
sible;  but  that  is  my  present  intention  and  wish.'  He 
added,  '  I  am  very  much  pleased  in  the  way  that  you 
have  represented  the  country.' 

ff  June  28.  —  The  Class  of  1879  (Harvard)  lunch 
in  the  Harvard  Union  given  by  Henry  Higginson. 
We  sit  down  a  little  over  100. 

1  There  was  a  lunch  in  the  room  below,  of  the 
Harvard  Law  School  Association,  at  which  Taft  and 
Olney  spoke. 

"  Our  class  visit  the  Stadium  *  and  have  their  photo 
graph  taken. 

"Dine  in  the  evening  at  the  Country  Club;  it  was 
our  25th  anniversary  of  graduation.  I  was  called  upon 
to  speak,  and  received  several  compliments  for  my 
speech  from  several  classmates.  Many  shocked  me  by 
looking  so  old. 

ff  June  29.  —  Commencement  Day  at  Cambridge. 
I.  T.  Burr,  Chief  Marshal;  Templeman  Coolidge  arid 
myself  marched  in  the  procession  on  each  side  of  him. 

i  Given  to  the  University  by  the  Class  of  1879. 


96  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

President  Eliot  and  Bishop  Lawrence  behind  us,  and 
next  in  line,  Governor  Bates. 

"  At  dinner  Bishop  Lawrence  made  an  effective 
speech  on  the  needs  of  the  University  and  the  thirty- 
year  service  of  President  Eliot.  Mr.  Eliot  responded 
in  an  exceptionally  well-worded  address,  and  then  was 
followed  by  Cabot  Lodge,  who  expressed  himself  in  a 
veiy  statesmanlike  manner. 

"  In  the  evening  we  had  a  dinner  at  the  Somerset 
Club  of  123  '79  men.  .  .  .  The  dinner  was  a  great 
success.  We  had  a  piano  and  an  accompanist  and 
some  excellent  songs,  especially  by  Nat  Brigham  and 
George  Sheldon.  The  sad  part  is  that  we  all  will 
never  be  together  again. 

"July  14.  —  Talk  with  Ex-Governor  Murray 
Crane  about  the  Finance  Committee  [of  National  Re 
publican  Committee]  over  the  long-distance  telephone 
to  New  York. 

ff  July  15.  —  Robert  Bacon,  J.  J.  Storrow,  and  E. 
Draper  consent  to  act  on  the  Committee,  with  Murray 
Crane  and  myself. 

ff  July  25.  —  Received  a  cablegram  this  morning 
from  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  dated  Trondhjem, 
Norway,  Royal  Yacht  Hohenzollern :  '  Your  wife  and 
children  lunched  with  me  to-day  on  board  Hohenzol 
lern,  all  well.  (Signed)  WILLIAM  I.  R.' 

"  I  answered  as  follows :  '  Permit  me  to  thank  Your 
Majesty  for  cable  and  kindness  to  my  family,  which 
is  much  appreciated.  VON  LENQERKE  MEYER.'  ' 

A  letter  from  Mrs.  Meyer,  from  the  German  ship 
Meteor,  on  which  she  was  visiting  the  Norwegian 


1904}  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  97 

coast  with  her  children,  gives  a  characteristic  glimpse 
of  the  Kaiser  on  a  summer  cruise  in  Norway  just  ten 
years  before  the  momentous  July  of  1914,  when  he 
was  similarly  employed:  — 

July  24,  1904. 

This  morning  at  quarter  before  eight  we  came  into  the 
Trondhjem  Harbour  and  there  passed  the  Hohenzollern,  the 
Emperor's  yacht. 

Every  one  was  on  deck  to  see  all  they  could,  as  the  night 
before  the  Captain  had  put  up  a  notice  saying  the  time  we 
should  probably  get  into  harbour.  The  girls  had  on  their  red 
coats,  and  we  got  a  good  position  and  saw  His  Majesty 
saluting. 

It  is  customary  to  send  over  the  list  of  passengers  to 
the  Emperor,  and  launches  were  steaming  back  and  forth  all 
the  morning.  Orders  came  for  the  eight  cadets  and  their  lieu 
tenant  to  go  to  the  Royal  Yacht  for  prayers,  and  it  was  amus 
ing  on  deck  to  see  the  lieutenant  drill  the  lads,  and  look  them 
over,  to  see  if  they  were  all  clean  and  presentable.  The  head 
steward  appeared  on  deck  to  tell  me  that  the  purser  had  a 
message  for  me.  I  went  down  and  found  a  messenger  from  His 
Majesty  who  told  me  that  I  was  expected  to  lunch  on  board 
the  yacht  at  one  o'clock,  and  also  all  the  children.  You  can 
imagine  that  in  our  small  cabins  confusion  and  excitement 
reigned.  What  to  wear?  was  the  cry,  for  our  trunks  held  but 
little  that  was  fit  for  royal  criticism.  Fortunately  the  girls 
had  some  nice  white  flannel  suits.  At  a  little  before  one  the 
launch  was  ready,  and  we  started  over,  accompanied  by  the 
German  doctor  from  Bonn,  who  was  also  invited.  The  deck 
of  the  Meteor  was  well  covered  with  the  passengers  to  see  us 
off,  and  I  overheard  one  woman  exclaim  with  shocked  surprise 
at  my  dress,  "  What,  without  a  train !  " 

On  arriving  at  the  yacht,  we  were  ushered  up   the  com- 


98  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

panionway  to  an  inner  hall  where  we  left  our  furs,  and  the 
master  of  ceremonies,  Captain  Grumm,  took  us  out  on  the  deck 
and  presented  several  of  the  gentlemen.  Almost  immediately 
the  Kaiser  appeared,  laughing  and  calling  to  us,  "  Where  did 
you  come  from?"  in  a  most  informal  manner.  The  Emperor 
shook  us  all  cordially  by  the  hand,  with  a  most  friendly  grip, 
and  we  all  walked  in  to  lunch. 

The  Emperor  was  dressed  in  undress  yachting  suit.  He 
looked  remarkably  well  and  was  in  wonderful  spirits.  There 
were  twenty-two  at  the  table.  On  His  Majesty's  right,  I  sat; 
on  his  left  the  Consul  from  Trondhjem;  Prince  Albert1  oppo 
site  the  Kaiser,  and  on  either  side  Julia  and  Alice.  Many  of 
the  gentlemen  who  were  on  the  yacht  I  had  already  met  in 
Berlin,  at  the  balls  last  winter:  Admiral  von  Seiden,  also  Cap 
tain  Grumm,  and  Count  von  Smithers. 

Lunch  was  very  jolly  —  Prince  Albert  full  of  jokes,  and 
the  Emperor  teased  him,  calling  across  the  table  constantly  to 
him.  The  Emperor  spoke  of  Kiel  and  inquired  how  and  where 
you  were.  He  also  spoke  of  automobiles  and  considered  them 
most  injurious  for  the  nerves. 

Lunch  was  quickly  served  by  men  in  sailors'  suits.  I 
noticed  the  Emperor  drank  from  silver  mugs  which  stood  in  a 
line,  varying  in  sizes.  He  told  me  the  only  healthy  diet  was 
fish,  much  fruit,  and  but  little  drink. 

After  lunch  we  went  on  deck,  our  furs  were  brought  us, 
and  the  Emperor  told  me  that  his  orchestra  should  play  all 
American  airs  for  our  benefit.  The  music  was  of  the  best,  and 
we  enjoyed  the  concert  immensely,  which  lasted  over  an  hour. 

It  was  bitterly  cold,  and  the  gentlemen  who  were  on  the 
yacht  told  me  they  hoped  daily  the  Emperor  would  give  orders 
to  move  South.  The  Emperor  at  every  new  tune  asked  me 
the  name,  and  I  had  to  confess  that  for  some,  although  Ameri- 

i  Of  Schleswig-Holstein. 


1904}  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  99 

can,  I  was  ignorant  of  their  names.  He  said  he  should  cable 
you  that  I  was  a  poor  American  and  did  not  know  my  American 
tunes.  The  Emperor  told  us  a  very  good  story  on  our  national 
tune.  In  Kiel  he  said  there  was  a  divided  opinion  which  of 
the  eight  tunes  should  be  national,  so  that  it  was  decided  for 
the  morning  that  the  band  on  the  American  man-of-war  should 
play  "  The  Star  Spangled  Banner,"  and  in  the  evening  "  Hail, 
Columbia!  "  The  Kaiser  enjoyed  that  arrangement  and  laughed 
heartily  over  it.  Boats  came  from  shore  to  hear  the  music, 
which  was  delightful,  and  the  Emperor  appreciated  my  remark 
when  I  said  that  the  band  on  the  Meteor  would  be  most  painful 
to  listen  to,  after  this  music.  At  the  close  the  Kaiser  ordered 
the  old  German  national  air,  standing  near  the  orchestra,  and 
leading  himself.  He  then  asked  us  if  we  would  see  the  yacht, 
which  is  a  beautiful  one  in  every  detail  without  being  over 
grand. 

The  Emperor  showed  us  himself  the  Empress'  suite,  a  charm 
ing  salon,  furnished  in  chintz,  and  a  grand  piano. 

The  Emperor's  private  room  was  lined  with  photos,  and 
a  charming  group  of  the  Princes  and  the  little  Princess,  of 
whom  the  Emperor  spoke  with  affection  and  admiration.  At 
the  gangway  His  Majesty  said  he  regretted  he  had  nothing 
more  to  show  us,  and  we,  thanking  His  Majesty  for  his  extreme 
kindness,  curtsied  to  take  our  leave.  The  Emperor  shook  hands 
again  and  honoured  me  by  kissing  my  hand. 

Captain  Grumm  gave  the  girls  and  boys  each  a  box,  with 
Hohenzollern  souvenirs,  and  we  went  down  the  gangway  to  the 
launch,  the  Emperor  standing  on  the  landing  until  we  pushed 
off. 

This  is  indeed  a  day  to  be  remembered  by  us  all.  As  the 
Emperor  had  advised  us  to  see  the  Cathedral  at  Trondhjem, 
we  went  ashore  and  found  it  most  interesting.  In  such  a  far 
away  place  it  is  strange  to  find  such  architecture  —  partly 
Roman,  and  partly  Gothic. 


100  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

At  seven  o'clock  we  sailed  out  of  the  harbour,  passing 
quite  close  to  the  Hohenzollern,  and  again  seeing  the  Emperor, 
who  was  saluting  the  crowd. 

Of  other  royal  personages  in  whom  Meyer  had 
good  reason  to  be  interested,  there  are  the  following 
notes  in  his  diary. 

re  August  12.  —  The  Tsarina  of  Russia  gives  birth 
to  an  heir  to  the  throne  of  Russia.  The  Tsar  an 
nounces  that  he  is  more  pleased  than  if  it  had  been  a 
Russian  victory  over  the  Japanese.  There  are  four 
daughters  alive,  and  one  or  two  in  addition  died  prema 
turely.  I  believe  all  the  world  is  glad  for  the  Tsarina, 
for  the  reason  that  if  the  last  had  been  a  girl*  I  believe 
there  would  possibly  have  been  a  demand  for  the  Tsar 
to  take  another  wife  in  order  to  obtain  an  heir. 

"  I  hope  the  Queen  of  Italy  may  have  a  son  also 
this  next  September. 

"September  16.  —  Alice  cables  that  the  Queen  of 
Italy  has  given  birth  to  an  heir,  to  be  called  the  Prince 
of  Piedmont.  Very  politic  not  to  call  him  Prince  of 
Rome,  as  it  would  have  only  embittered  the  Vatican 
at  this  time  when  they  and  the  House  of  Savoy  seem 
to  be  coming  nearer  together.  This  event  is  very  im 
portant  to  the  dynasty.  Of  course  it  is  hard  on  the 
Duke  of  Aosta,  of  whom  I  am  very  fond. 

"  I  cable  General  Brusati,  A.D.C.,  at  Racconigi, 
to  express  my  felicitations,  etc.,  to  the  King." 

When  Meyer  sailed  for  Europe  about  two  weeks 
later  he  had  received  the  President's  assurances  of  high 
satisfaction  with  his  work  in  Italy  and  on  the  Republi- 


1904]  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  101 

can  National  Committee,  together  with  the  promise  - 
as  the  diary  has  shown  —  of  a  place  in  the  Cabinet, 
perhaps  to  be  preceded  by  another  ambassadorship 
than  the  Italian.  Throughout  the  autumn  there  were 
many  rumours  that  he  would  be  sent  to  Berlin  or 
Paris  —  either  of  which  posts  would  have  appealed  to 
him  more  strongly  than  St.  Petersburg  before  he 
fully  realized  what  the  appointment  to  Russia  would 
mean.  This  was  to  be  made  clear  through  correspond 
ence,  from  which,  as  from  his  diary  for  the  remaining 
months  in  Italy,  some  representative  passages  will  be 
drawn.  Frequent  jottings  in  his  journal  reveal  his 
close  attention  to  the  progress  of  the  war  in  the  East. 
There  are  longer  entries  illustrating  the  close  relations 
of  friendship  he  had  formed  in  Italy.  Two  such  pas 
sages  have  to  do  with  a  visit  to  the  Duke  of  Aosta  in 
Turin  on  his  way  from  Paris  to  Rome. 

ff  October  15,  —  Arrive  in  Turin  at  2.25  P.M. 
Find  the  Duke's  A.D.C.  waiting  for  me,  with  the 
carriage,  to  drive  me  to  the  Palazzo  Cisterna.  I  am 
escorted  immediately  to  the  Duke's  private  room  and 
received  without  any  formal  ceremony,  as  I  have  been 
there  so  often.  The  Duchess  comes  in,  in  a  few 
moments,  and  is  most  cordial. 

"  Aosta  suggests  that  I  go  riding  with  him  at  4 
o'clock,  which  is  most  agreeable  after  the  long  journey 
from  Paris.  We  return  at  6.30  after  a  delightful  ride 
in  the  country  accompanied  by  two  A.D.C's.  and  two 
detectives  on  bicycles. 

"  On  returning  we  have  a  cup  of  tea  with  the 
Duchess  in  her  private  salon,  and  I  am  presented  to 


102  'GEOHGTE  VON  L.  MEYER 

the  Comtesse  de  Paris  (her  mother),  and  meet  again 
the  Princess  Louise.  The  Comtesse  de  Paris  dresses 
very  simply  but  with  dignity.  .  .  . 

"  We  all  dine  at  8  P.M.  —  no  one  except  the  gen- 
tleman-in- waiting  of  the  Comtesse  de  Paris.  After 
dinner  we  go  to  the  opera,  the  Duchess,  the  Princess 
Louise  and  myself  in  one  carriage;  Baron  and 
Baroness  di  San  Martino,  in  waiting  to  the  Duchess, 
and  the  gentleman-in-waiting  to  Princess  Louise  in 
the  second  carriage.  We  sat  in  the  royal  box  and  the 
opera  was  the  first  performance  of  Adrienne  Lecou- 
vreur,  not  very  good.  ...  It  was  in  the  theatre 
which  Vittorio  Emmanuele  II  used  for  a  circus. 

'  We  got  back  about  midnight  and  had  some 
'  grog '  in  H.R.H.  the  Duchess'  private  salon,  where 
the  Duke  joined  us,  he  having  been  studying  an  ora 
tion  that  he  had  to  make  next  day.  On  retiring  the 
Duchess  invited  me  to  ride  horseback  with  her  Sunday 
at  8.30  A.M. 

"October  16.  —  At  8.30  I  was  in  the  courtyard 
of  the  Palace  where  the  horses  were  already  standing, 
two  greys,  and  a  bay  for  the  groom.  In  about  five 
minutes  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Aosta  walked  in, 
having  attended  mass  together.  In  less  than  five  min 
utes  she  was  down  again,  all  dressed  for  the  saddle. 
It  was  a  beautiful  morning,  a  slight  mist  which  the 
sun  was  rapidly  driving  away,  which  gave  a  sort  of 
Corot  effect  to  the  fields  and  trees.  We  went  straight 
across  the  country,  fording  streams  and  jumping 
ditches  and  having  long  canters  down  some  of  the? 
alleys  of  Stupinigi,  where  the  Queen  Mother  was  com- 


1904]  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  103 

ing  later,  and  in  which  palace  we  had  breakfast  just  a 
year  ago.  The  Duchess  was  in  great  spirits  and  most 
charming.  She  said  she  envied  me  and  my  family 
travelling  so  much,  and  that  now  that  her  husband  was 
no  longer  heir  presumptive,  she  hoped  that  they  would 
travel  about  more,  adding  that  it  was  a  delicate  matter 
before,  as  it  would  look  as  though  they  were  trying 
to  give  themselves  special  prominence.  This  was  the 
only  reference  made  to  the  Prince  of  Piedmont,  born 
to  the  Queen  a  month  ago. 

"We  never  got  back  until  nearly  11.30,  after  a 
charming  ride.  It  is  such  a  pleasure  to  see  her  in  the 
saddle  and  handling  her  horse  —  so  graceful  and  such 
wonderful  hands  with  a  horse. 

"  After  a  delicious  bath  in  a  bath-room,  up  to 
date  with  porcelain  tub,  we  had  breakfast  at  12.30,  no 
one  present  except  the  family  and  the  two  young 
princes  (sons  of  the  Duke  of  Aosta)  about  four  and  a 
half  and  six  years.  The  King  has  given  them  each  a 
title,  one  of  the  Duke  di  Spoleto,  the  other  the  Duke 
degli  Puglie. 

"  After  lunch  Aosta  had  the  coach  round  and  we 
drove  off  into  the  country — H.R.H.  the  Countess  of 
Paris  on  the  box;  behind  them  the  Princess  Louise, 
I)uchess  of  Aosta,  and  myself,  on  the  back  seat,  the 
di  San  Martinos,  who  are  in  waiting,  and  Captain 
R.,  A.D.C.  We  drove  almost  to  the  mountains 
and  then  went  to  the  Medici  Palace,  which  formerly 
belonged  to  Victor  Emmanuel  II.  There  we  had  tea. 
As  I  was  taking  the  train  at  8  o'clock  for  Rome,  a 
special  dinner  was  served  me  at  7  P.M.  The  Duke 


104  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

and  Duchess  came  and  sat  with  me  while  I  was  at 
dinner,  the  Duchess  remarking  that  they  came  to  be 
sure  I  got  something  to  eat. 

"  I  never  received  more  charming  hospitality.  I 
was  sent  to  the  station  in  a  Royal  carriage  with  Cap 
tain  R.,  the  A.D.C." 

Returned  to  Rome,  where  his  family  awaited  him, 
Meyer  went  on  with  his  journal: — 

ff  October  18.  —  I  wrote  the  State  Department 
that  Parliament  was  dissolved  to-day.  The  decree 
fixes  November  6  for  the  General  Election,  and  No 
vember  13  for  those  candidates  who  did  not  receive 
the  prescribed  two-thirds  vote  required  for  election. 

"  It  is  thought  that  the  Socialists  organized  strikes 
and  demonstrations  the  morning  after  the  birth  of  the 
heir  to  the  throne,  hoping  there  would  be  bloodshed 
in  order  to  make  the  birth  of  the  Prince  a  day  of 
misfortune.  Giolitti  had  the  troops  out,  but  they  were 
ordered  not  to  use  their  arms.  In  Milan,  Venice,  and 
Genoa  the  strikes  were  severe,  but  no  bloodshed.  It 
was  in  a  way  a  rehearsal  also  by  the  Socialists  to  test 
their  organization  and  power.  It  has,  however,  dis 
gusted  the  people  as  a  whole  and  caused  a  reaction 
against  the  Socialists.  It  was  rather  clever  to  dissolve 
Parliament  and  have  an  election  while  these  dis 
turbances  are  still  in  mind. 

"November  4.  —  The  Tsar  has  decorated,  and 
raised  the  rank  of,  the  Russian  Admiral  who  fired  on 
the  English  fishing  fleet.  He  believes  the  Russian 
statement  that  there  were  Japanese  torpedo-boats 


THE    DUCHESS    OF    AOSTA 


19041  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  105 

among  the  fishing  boats.  The  Russians  are  demoral 
ized  and  frightened  to  death  of  the  Japanese  torpedo- 
boats.  The  general  opinion  seems  to  be  that  the 
Russians  fired  on  their  own  boats! 

"November  9.  —  At  8  o'clock  this  morning  re 
ceived  the  following  cable  from  Mr.  Bliss,  Treasurer 
of  the  National  Republican  Committee :  '  Probable 
plurality  of  Roosevelt  in  New  York  State  200,000; 
Higgins,  Governor,  75,000.  Electoral  vote  over  300. 

'  BLISS.' 

"Wired  at  once  the  following: 

*  President  Roosevelt,  Washington :  —  The  elec 
tion  shows  the  people  appreciate  your  administration; 
also  splendid  about  New  York  State ;  hearty  congratu 
lations.  GEORGE  MEYER.' 

"  On  account  of  difference  in  time,  the  President 
would  receive  my  cable  at  the  same  hour  at  which  I 
received  the  above. 

"November  10.  —  It  appears  that  Roosevelt  has 
carried  every  doubtful  state  and  has  an  electoral  vote 
of  317.  Pennsylvania  goes  Republican  by  300,000, 
and  New  York  by  200,000  —  the  pluralities  being 
greater  than  those  of  McKinley,  and  Parker  has  fallen 
behind  Roosevelt  [Bryan?]. 

"  The  most  astounding  thing  is  that  in  this  Re 
publican  landslide  Massachusetts  has  elected  a  Demo 
cratic  Governor,  Douglas  by  name,  a  shoe-manufac 
turer  known  as  the  '  $3.00  shoe  man.'  I  await  the 
papers  with  great  interest,  to  analyse  the  vote  and  to 
learn  the  causes. 

"  C.  F.  McKim  cables  that  the  American  Academy 


106  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

accepts  the  offer,  and  will  purchase  the  Villa  Mira- 
fiore. 

ff  November  14.  —  Received  letters  from  State  De 
partment,  dated  20th  and  24th  October;  the  former, 
invitation  of  the  President  to  nations  for  a  second 
Peace  Conference  at  The  Hague;  the  latter  inviting  a 
Treaty  of  Arbitration  with  Italy  on  same  lines  as  were 
made  between  England  and  France  one  year  ago. 

"  Tittoni,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  absent,  and 
everybody  had  left  the  Foreign  Office,  celebrating  the 
success  of  the  elections. 

'  The  result  of  the  elections  very  satisfactory  and 
gratifying.  They  have  had  no  issue  since  1870;  this 
time  the  lines  were  drawn :  *  those  for  order  and  those 
against.'  It  seems  to  signify  that  in  an  issue  of  impor 
tance,  i.e.,  the  welfare  of  the  nation,  the  sober  judg 
ment  of  the  people  can  be  relied  upon. 

"November  15.  —  Called  at  the  Foreign  Office 
and  talked  with  Fusinato,  1st  Under-Secretary  of  For 
eign  Affairs.  He  told  me  that  I  could  cable  my 
government  that  Italy  was  favourable  to  an  arbitra 
tion  treaty,  same  as  England  and  France  had  made 
a  year  ago.  As  to  a  second  Peace  Conference, 
they  would  reply  to  the  President's  invitation  this 
week. 

"November  19.  —  Cable  the  State  Department 
that  Tittoni,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  officially  in 
forms  me  that  His  Majesty's  Government  will  par 
ticipate  with  pleasure  in  the  invitation  of  the  Presi 
dent  to  a  second  Peace  Conference,  reserving  the  fol 
lowing  points :  — 


1904}  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  107 

"  (a)  Subjects  which  might  come  before  the  Con 
ference. 

"  (6)     The  time  at  which  it  should  be  held. 

"  The  course  coincides  with  England's.  I  had 
urged  Italy  to  do  this  at  once,  without  waiting  for 
the  other  countries. 

fc  November  30.  —  The  King  opens  Parliament,  at 
tended  by  the  royal  family,  Count  of  Turin  on  one 
side  and  the  Duke  of  Genoa  on  the  other.  Duke  of 
Aosta  could  not  come  on  account  of  the  sickness  of  the 
Duchess.  The  Queen  and  her  ladies  in  the  royal  box, 
the  Chiefs  of  Mission  and  their  wives  in  the  adjoining 
one  on  the  right;  on  the  floor  were  the  Senators  and 
Representatives . 

"  The  speech  of  the  King  was  well  received.  The 
main  point  was  liberty  and  freedom  as  long  as  they 
are  within  the  law.  The  great  question  was  the  better 
ment  and  uplifting  of  the  working  classes. 

"December  7.  —  Audience  with  the  King  at  11.40. 
Presented  the  President's  autograph  letter  acknowl 
edging  the  birth  of  the  Prince  of  Piedmont.  The  King 
spoke  of  the  enormous  money  we  were  appropriating 
for  a  Navy,  prophesied  that  we  would  take  or  control 
all  the  country  north  of  the  Panama.  Asked  what 
we  were  going  to  do  to  discipline  Hayti  and 
Venezuela. 

ff  December  8.  —  In  the  morning  I  went  to  the 
Vatican  celebration  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  at 
St.  Peter's.  This  Pope1  was  carried  in  for  the  first 
time.  He  rose  in  his  chair  with  righteous  indignation 

iPiusX. 


108  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 


U9VF 


when  the  people  attempted  to  applaud.  .    .    .     About 
60,000  people  in  the  Cathedral. 

"  December  29.  —  Received  a  cable  from  Henry 
Cabot  Lodge,  saying  '  Do  not  answer  the  President's 
letter  until  you  get  mine.'  Rather  mysterious,  and 
will  be  interesting  to  see  what  the  President  has 
written,  and  to  know  why  Lodge  has  cabled  as  above. 
Undoubtedly  concerns  my  future  after  March  4. 

"  December  30.  —  The  King  and  Queen  receive  the 
Corps  Diplomatique  at  9.30.  .  .  . 

'  The  King  asked  me  if  I  was  going  as  Ambassa 
dor  to  Paris,  and  said  of  course  it  was  considered  an 
advance.  I  told  him  I  should  be  sad  to  leave,  but  knew 
nothing  official.  After  Captain  Howard1  was  pre 
sented  to  the  King,  His  Majesty  told  me  an  amusing 
story  of  one  of  their  vessels  which  had  only  done  9 
knots  an  hour,  ran  on  the  rocks,  broke  off  one  of  its 
blades,  and  immediately  accomplished  10  knots. 

"December  31.  —  The  Queen  Mother  (Marghe- 
rita  de  Savoie)  received  the  Diplomatic  Corps  —  at  5 
the  Embassies,  and  at  6  o'clock  the  Legations.  .  .  . 

"  The  Queen  asked  me  if  it  was  true  that  I  had 
been  appointed  Ambassador  to  Paris.  I  was  obliged 
to  say  that  I  had  received  no  official  notice  and  only 
knew  what  I  saw  in  the  papers,  and  added  that  I 
should  be  very  sad  to  leave  Rome,  every  one  had  been 
so  kind  to  us  and  made  our  life  delightful.  She  added, 
*  Rome  will  be  more  sad  to  lose  you.' 

"  January  7,  1905.  —  Get  Cabot  Lodge's  letter  of 
December  27.  The  President  had  intended  to  send 

i  Newly  appointed  Naval  Attache"  at  the  American  Embassy. 


1905^  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  109 

me  to  Paris,  but  now  desires  me  to  go  to  St.  Peters 
burg.  Considers  it  the  most  important  post  at  the 
moment.  I  am  sorry  on  account  of  my  family. 

"January  8.  —  Wrote  Cabot  Lodge  yesterday, 
and  told  him  that  the  papers  on  the  Continent  and 
the  Court  here  believe  I  am  going  to  Paris.  My 
answer  was,  '  I  only  know  what  I  see  in  the  papers.' 
Bismarck  once  said,  '  If  you  do  not  want  to  be  be 
lieved,  tell  the  truth.'  I  fully  realize  the  importance 
of  the  post,  especially  now  that  war  is  raging.  On  re 
ceipt  of  the  President's  letter  I  shall  cable  '  Accept 
with  pleasure;  appreciate  the  compliment.'  My  boy  I 
shall  send  to  Groton.  How  the  climate  suits  my  girls 
remains  to  be  seen. 

ff  January  14.  —  Received  a  long  cable  from  Hay, 
took  one  hour  and  forty-five  minutes  to  translate  it; 
concerning  the  integrity  of  China  and  the  open  door 
policy  in  the  Orient. 

"  Italy  entirely  in  accord  with  us  on  both  these 
points  in  case  of  peace  between  Japan  and  Russia,  and 
cable  to  that  effect  to  Washington.  Received  cable 
from  Charley  McKim,  in  which  he  said  my  cable  of 
felicitation  added  much  to  the  success  of  the  dinner  of 
the  American  Architects  in  Washington,  at  which  the 
President  was  present  and  the  purchase  of  a  perma 
nent  home  in  Rome  was  announced." 

President  Roosevelt's  letter,  shrewdly  anticipated 
as  concerning  Meyer's  future  after  March  4,  did  not 
reach  him  until  January  20.  It  was  dated  December 
26.  A  considerable  portion  of  it  revealed  the  Presi- 


110  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

dent's  keen  interest  in  the  Far  Eastern  situation;  the 
final  paragraph  spoke  clearly  for  one  point  of  his  gen 
eral  policy:  "  Our  Navy  is  year  by  year  become  more 
efficient.  I  want  to  avoid  any  blustering  or  threaten 
ing,  but  I  want  to  be  able  to  act  decidedly  when  any 
turn  of  events  menaces  our  interests,  and  to  be  able  to 
make  our  words  good  once  they  have  been  spoken;  and 
therefore  I  need  to  know  each  phase  of  any  new  situa 
tion."  It  is  the  first  long  paragraph  of  the  letter  that 
has  ifs  appropriate  place  in  the  record  of  George 
Meyer's  life;  for  besides  stating  with  characteristic 
vigour  President  Roosevelt's  conception  of  the  func 
tions  of  an  ambassador,  it  gives  forcible  expression  to 
his  confidence  that  Meyer  was  the  man  to  perform 
them  in  the  difficult  Russian  post.  Thus  he  wrote :  — 

I  desire  to  send  you  as  Ambassador  to  St.  Petersburg. 
My  present  intention  is,  as  you  know,  only  to  keep  you  for  a 
year  as  Ambassador;  but  there  is  nothing  certain  about  this, 
inasmuch  as  no  man  can  tell  what  contingencies  will  arise  in 
the  future;  but  at  present  the  position  in  which  I  need  you  is 
that  of  Ambassador  at  St.  Petersburg.  St.  Petersburg  is  at 
this  moment,  and  bids  fair  to  continue  to  be  for  at  least  a  year, 
the  most  important  post  in  the  diplomatic  service,  from  the 
standpoint  of  work  to  be  done;  and  you  come  in  the  category 
of  public  servants  who  desire  to  do  public  work,  as  distin 
guished  from  those  whose  desire  is  merely  to  occupy  public 
place  —  a  class  for  whom  I  have  no  particular  respect.  I 
wish  in  St.  Petersburg  a  man  who,  while  able  to  do  all  the 
social  work,  able  to  entertain  and  to  meet  the  Russians  and 
his  fellow-diplomats  on  equal  terms,  able  to  do  all  the  necessary 
plush  business,  —  business  which  is  indispensable,  —  can  do,  in 
addition,  the  really  vital  and  important  things.  I  want  a  man 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  111 

who  will  be  able  to  keep  us  closely  informed,  on  his  own  initia 
tive,  of  everything  we  ought  to  know ;  who  will  be,  as  an  Ambas 
sador  ought  to  be,  our  chief  source  of  information  about  Japan 
and  the  war  —  about  the  Russian  feeling  as  to  relations  between 
Russia  and  Germany  and  France,  as  to  the  real  meaning  of 
the  movement  for  so-called  internal  reforms,  as  to  the  condition 
of  the  army,  as  to  what  force  can  and  will  be  used  in  Man 
churia  next  summer,  and  so  forth  and  so  forth.  The  trouble 
with  our  Ambassadors  in  stations  of  real  importance  is  that 
they  totally  fail  to  give  us  real  help  and  real  information,  and 
seem  to  think  that  the  life-work  of  an  Ambassador  is  a  kind 
of  glorified  pink  tea-party.  Now,  at  St.  Petersburg  I  want 
some  work  done,  and  you  are  the  man  to  do  it.  It  happens  to 
be  the  only  Embassy  at  which  I  do  want  work  done  just  at 
present.  There  is  at  St.  Petersburg,  in  the  English  Embassy, 
an  Englishman  whose  name  I  will  not  give  you,  but  whom  I 
shall  ask  to  call  on  you  and  talk  freely  over  the  situation, 
alluding  to  what  he  has  written  me.  I  have  gained  the  most 
valuable  information  from  him  —  better  information  than  I 
have  ever  gained  from  any  of  our  own  people  abroad,  save  only 
Harry  White.  Our  First  Secretary,  Spencer  Eddy,  has  also 
written  us  continually  and  given  us  good  information.  .  .  . 

Meyer  made  immediate  reply,  in  a  letter  illustrat 
ing  his  readiness  both  to  give  the  President  whatever 
information  he  could  obtain,  and  to  work  as  he  had 
been  "  accustomed  to  work  at  home  " :  — 

To  President  Roosevelt 

ROME,  January  20,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

Your  letter  of  December  26th  in  the  United  States  Em 
bassy  bag,  reached  Rome  yesterday  (January  19th).  This 


112  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  I1905 

gives  you  a  good  idea  of  the  time  it  occasionally  takes  for 
dispatches  to  reach  me.  It  was  handed  to  me  this  morning,  as 
I  had  been  duck-shooting  on  the  coast  for  the  day.  After 
reading  it  carefully,  I  cabled  you  as  follows :  "  Letter  received 
to-day;  appreciate  the  compliment,  accept  with  pleasure." 

I  did  this  for  the  reason  that  as  so  much  time  had  been 
consumed  before  getting  the  note,  it  was  only  proper  that  you 
should  have  an  acknowledgment  at  once,  as  this  letter  will 
probably  take  two  weeks  more,  before  it  is  received  by  you.  I 
fully  realize  the  compliment  you  have  paid  me,  and  will  en 
deavour  to  carry  out  your  wishes  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  and 
will  lose  no  opportunity  to  post  myself. 

Day  before  yesterday [an  American  newspaper 

correspondent]  called  on  me.  He  had  just  arrived  from  Yoko 
hama  and  has  been  with  the  Japanese  army.  To  identify 
himself,  he  presented  a  circular  letter  of  introduction  issued  by 
the  State  Department  and  addressed  to  the  Diplomatic  Corps 
and  Consular  Service. 

The  object  of  his  call  was  to  get  advice  about  Macedonia, 
as  he  received  a  dispatch  stopping  his  return  home  and  in 
structing  him  to  go  to  Macedonia  and  write  up  that  question. 
To  my  surprise,  I  found  in  talking  with  him  about  the  Russian 
war,  that  his  sympathies  were  no  longer  with  Japan.  In  fact, 
he  seemed  quite  antagonistic  and  remarked  that  it  was  almost 
the  universal  feeling  of  English  and  Americans  in  the  East. 

To  express  it  in 's  own  words :  "  The  Japs  are  play 
ing  a  big  game  before  the  world  and  for  the  moment  are  playing 
it  straight  and  for  all  it  is  worth.  They  at  heart  do  not  care 
for  any  whites,  not  even  for  the  English  or  Americans,  who 
are  useful  to  them  now,  and  are  working  them  for  all  they  can. 
They  laugh  in  their  sleeves  about  the  open  door  in  Manchuria, 
for  when  the  time  comes  they  can  beat  us  in  manufacturing, 
due  to  cheap  labour,  and  therefore  get  the  trade.  They  are  most 


19051  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  113 

untruthful  and  deceitful  as  well  as  tricky  in  business  transac 
tions,  and  think  nothing  of  breaking  a  contract  if  not  profit 
able.  The  banks  and  bankers,  for  a  position  of  trust  and  con 
fidence,  never  think  of  employing  Japanese  clerks  but  employ 
Chinese."  This  last  statement  I  had  heard  before  from  a  most 
reliable  source. 

When  I  asked  if  he  thought  Russia's  word  could  be 

relied  upon,  his  answer  was  "  no,"  but  their  competition  in  trade 
would  have  been  very  mild,  compared  to  what  Japanese  will 

probably  be.  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  the  Japanese 

officers  realized  that,  when  their  army  was  at  its  best  and  nearly 
double  that  of  the  Russian  army,  they  had  not  been  able  to 
defeat  or  put  to  route  Kuropatkin's  army,  and  he,  ,  be 
lieves  that  they  would  never  defeat  the  Russian  army  in  Man 
churia. 

I  quote  this  merely  as  an  illustration  of  an  American  news 
paper  correspondent  who  has  been  with  the  Japanese  army. 

As  to  the  integrity  of  China  and  the  open  door  in  Man 
churia,  Italy  is  willing  and  ready  to  follow  our  lead.  Last 
Sunday  evening  the  King  informed  me  that  they  were  going  to 
remove  their  remaining  troops  in  China,  leaving  only  a  small 
guard  at  the  Legation  in  Peking,  and  that  they  should  keep  but 
two  men-of-war  in  Chinese  waters.  He  then  asked  me  how  the 
theory  originated  that  new  possessions  might,  under  certain 
circumstances,  be  given  to  neutrals  in  case  of  peace  between 
Russia  and  Japan;  and  on  my  professing  ignorance  he  said, 
with  almost  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  "  It  certainly  could  not  be  a 
German  thought." 

I  find  that  many  leading  Italians  look  with  confidence  to 
our  Government  for  the  future  policy  in  China,  as  the  influence 
which  can  best  be  trusted  in  the  Orient. 

Barrere,  the  French  Ambassador  here,  whom  I  know  very 
well,  had  told  me,  before  this  last  Russian  loan  was  announced, 


114  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

that  the  Berlin  bankers  had  demanded  a  part  of  the  new  Rus 
sian  loan  and  the  French  financiers  allotted  one-third  to 
Berlin.  This  was  in  order  that  the  German  bankers  might 
make  their  commission;  but  it  was  felt  that  only  a  small  part 
would  be  subscribed  in  Berlin  and  that  the  over-subscriptions 
in  Paris  would  take  care  of  it.  However,  on  the  contrary,  it 
was  several  times  over-subscribed  in  Berlin. 

This  is  not  necessarily  a  sign  of  sympathy  towards  Rus 
sia,  as,  where  investments  are  concerned,  sympathy  generally 
goes  to  the  winds,  but  it  is  a  strong  evidence  of  a  belief, 
as  far  as  Berlin  is  concerned,  in  the  future  stability  of  the 
Russian  Government  and  a  final  settlement  of  the  war,  which 
will  not  weaken  her  resources  to  the  extent  of  affecting  the 
public  credit.  Last  winter,  when  I  was  in  Berlin,  there  seemed 
to  be  a  fairly  strong  under-current  of  sympathy  with  Japan. 

Now  there  is  one  point  on  which  I  would  like  your  support, 
if  I  may  have  it. 

All  the  important  Governments  send  their  bag  by  a  courier, 
so  that  it  is  not  out  of  their  possession  until  they  cross  the 
frontier.  If  I  am  to  write  freely  and  give  such  information 
as  I  can  acquire,  it  is  valuable  that  secrecy  should  be  main 
tained  as  far  as  Russia  is  concerned,  for  two  reasons:  one  is 
that  otherwise  I  might  soon  lose  my  usefulness  if  I  became  in 
a  way  persona  non  grata;  second:  the  sources  of  obtaining 
information,  with  all  freedom  of  the  press  abolished  and  a  strict 
censorship  of  all  literature,  must  naturally  be  limited  and 
therefore  [it  would  be]  unwise  to  take  chances  of  having  the 
remaining  sources  discovered  and  possibly  cut  off.  My  idea  is, 
if  it  has  not  already  been  adopted,  of  having  a  reliable  courier 
(American)  transport  the  bag  to  either  the  American  Embassy 
in  Paris  or  Berlin,  and  from  there  have  it  transported  in  the 
usual  manner.  The  courier,  on  returning  to  St.  Petersburg, 
would  convey  the  pouch  coming  from  Washington. 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  115 

An  Austrian  Secretary  from  St.  Petersburg  (I  will  not 
mention  his  name  now)  told  me  this  week  that  their  Ambas 
sador  had  just  obtained  a  conge  for  three  months,  feeling  that 
[there]  was  going  to  be  a  revolution.  An  Ambassador  that 
leaves  his  post  from  fear  of  revolution  must  have  lost  his  use 
fulness.  It  is  possible,  however,  that  the  Balkans  may  have 
something  to  do  with  it. 

In  conclusion  I  would  say,  Mr.  President,  that  you  are 
quite  correct  in  thinking  that  I  prefer  a  position  where  there 
is  something  of  real  importance  to  be  done,  as  I  was  accus 
tomed  to  work  at  home. 

Believe  me, 

Respectfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 

Passages  from  Meyer's  diary,  supplemented  by  let 
ters  to  President  Roosevelt  and  Senator  Lodge,  will 
sufficiently  tell  the  story  of  his  final  weeks  in  Rome. 
It  is  possible  only  to  present  typical  bits  of  evidence 
of  the  careful  preparation  he  was  giving  himself  for 
the  important  work  awaiting  him,  and  of  the  many  ex 
pressions  from  Italian  friends  testifying  to  the  place 
he  had  made  for  himself  in  their  esteem  and  affection. 
The  complete  chronicle  of  farewell  dinners,  private  and 
semi-public,  as  the  day  of  departure  drew  near,  would 
alone  fill  many  pages. 

ff  January  22.  —  A  great  strike  in  St.  Petersburg. 
Father  Gapon  made  a  pathetic  appeal  to  the  Tsar  to 
receive  a  petition  of  the  workmen  in  front  of  the  Win 
ter  Palace,  guaranteeing  his  personal  safety.  He  also 
warned  the  Tsar,  if  they  should  not  be  allowed  to  hand 
it  to  him  in  person.  They  assembled  in  front  of  the 


116  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

palace  and  were  fired  upon  by  the  troops,  causing 
much  bloodshed.  Probably  the  commencement  of  a 
revolution,  and  possible  fate  of  the  Tsar  as  ruler  of 
Russia. 

"January  23. --The  affairs  in  Russia  look  very 
serious  and  conflicts  between  the  troops  and  the  work 
men  are  increasing.  It  is  said  that  the  Tsar  and  his 
family  have  left  St.  Petersburg.  The  troops  continu 
ing  to  fire  on  the  crowds. 

"  Dine  at  Marquis  Rudini's,  son  of  the  former 
Premier.  The  principal  topic  of  conversation  is  the 
condition  of  affairs  in  St.  Petersburg  and  other  parts 
of  Russia.  Little  or  no  expressions  of  sympathy  are 
made  for  the  Tsar  or  the  Grand  Dukes  of  Russia. 
Possibly  the  scene  in  front  of  the  Winter  Palace  will 
entirely  change  the  future  history  of  Russia. 

To  President  Roosevelt 

ROME,  January  28,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

Since  my  letter  of  a  week  ago  important  and  tragic 
events  have  taken  place  in  St.  Petersburg  and  other  parts  of 
Russia.  Possibly  the  future  of  the  Muscovite  Empire  has  been 
seriously  affected  by  the  scenes  which  took  place  before  the 
Imperial  Palace.  The  historical  relations  between  the  people 
and  the  Tsars  explain  how  it  was  possible  that  those  unarmed 
Russians  should  have  entertained  the  hope  that  they  would  be 
permitted  to  see  the  Tsar  in  person  and  lay  their  petition  at 
his  feet.  The  pathetic  trust  the  people  have  put  in  the  Tsar 
has  failed  them,  and  they  have  lost  their  blind  faith  in  him, 
and  they  are  now  ripe  for  socialistic  agitations. 

What  an  opportunity  the  ruler  of  Russia  has  lost !     He 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  117 

might  have  gained  the  love  of  his  people  and  respect  of  the 
world.  A  prominent  Italian  said  to  me :  "  Your  President  would 
not  have  hesitated  a  moment  to  receive  the  delegation."  I  re 
plied  :  "  No  indeed,  or  met  them  in  the  open  square." 

The  appointment  of  General  Trepoff,  as  Governor  General, 
will  result  in  putting  down  the  strikes  in  St.  Petersburg 
by  acts  of  the  greatest  severity.  He  has  a  long  record 
of  brutality,  cruelty,  and  bad  faith.  The  orders  to  fire  on  the 
crowd  have  aroused  the  opinion  of  the  world  against  a  gov 
ernment  which  shoots  down  unarmed  people,  without  actual 
necessity.  I  find  this  sentiment  already  among  the  diplomatic 
representatives  of  the  various  countries.  I  take  pains,  how 
ever,  to  express  no  criticism,  for  obvious  reasons. 

The  strikes  have  now  spread  to  other  cities.  It  is  the  first 
time  in  Russia  that  a  strike  has  been  organized  in  a  compre 
hensive  manner,  as  is  done  in  other  countries,  so  as  to  consoli 
date  the  working-men. 

The  view  seems  to  prevail  among  the  best  informed  that, 
while  the  spirit  of  revolution  is  awake  throughout  Russia,  it 
is  not  in  such  a  shape  as  to  give  practical  expression  to  the 
voice  of  the  people,  due  to  geographical  conditions,  lack  of 
ammunitions,  financial  support,  and  proper  leadership. 

It  is  felt  by  some  that,  if  the  Tsar  has  only  the  moral 
courage,  it  is  not  too  late  for  him  to  lead  the  way  to  a  peaceful 
solution  of  the  internal  troubles  by  granting  certain  of  the 
most  needed  reforms. 

The  position  of  France,  a  republic,  is  a  peculiar  one,  as 
she  has  united  her  destinies  with  Russia  by  an  alliance,  and 
has  furnished  her  with  almost  unlimited  supplies  of  money. 
The  French  Ambassador  here  shows  signs  of  nervousness,  and 
is  quite  frank  before  me  in  criticizing  the  mis-management 
and  blunders  of  the  Russian  Government.  He  told  me  just 
after  the  war  broke  out  that  he  had  the  refusal  for  the  Rus- 


118  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

sians  of  two  Argentine  and  two  Chilian  cruisers,  all  of  about 
9,000  tons  (two  of  which  were  being  finished  in  Genoa  and  finally 
secured  by  the  Japanese).  When  the  Russians  did  not  avail 
themselves  of  this  opportunity,  he  felt  sure  it  was  for  the 
reason  that  they  did  not  believe  war  would  take  place.  He  has 
since  discovered  that  the  real  cause  was  that  a  certain  Grand 
Duke  insisted  that  fifteen  per  cent  was  to  be  added  to  the 
price  and  the  same  paid  back  to  him.  This  was  refused  and 
the  transaction  fell  through. 

Prince  Ouroussow,  the  Russian  Ambassador  here,  was 
this  week  transferred  to  Vienna;  it  was  rumoured  that  Cassini 
might  come  here,  but  I  have  since  learned  that  the  Minister  of 
the  Interior  in  St.  Petersburg  is  to  be  appointed  Ambassador 
in  Rome.  His  name  I  cannot  recall  at  the  moment. 

The  Japanese  Minister,  Mr.  Ohyama,  informed  me  that 
he  considered  the  present  conditions  in  Russia  equivalent  to 
another  victory,  as  far  as  Japan  was  concerned,  and  must  tend 
to  hasten  peace. 

Respectfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 


"February  ./.--Wrote  to  the  State  Department 
tendering  my  resignation  to  the  President  as  Ambassa 
dor  to  Italy,  to  take  effect  March  4,  or  on  the  appoint 
ment  of  my  successor,  as  may  suit  the  President's 
convenience. 

"  On  the  election  of  a  President  or  even  reelection, 
it  is  customary  to  tender  your  resignation  as  Ambassa 
dor,  also  as  member  of  the  Cabinet. 

"  The  Civil  List  of  about  $3,700,000  was  approved 
this  week,  by  a  vote  of  253  to  32.  This  was  the  annual 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  119 

allowance  made  to  King  Humbert.  Some  of  the  lib 
eral  papers  have  urged  reduction;  the  vote  shows 
demonstration  of  V.  E.  Ill's  popularity.  He  is  very 
democratic,  and  some  Roman  princes  speak  of  him  as 
being  socialistic. 

ff  February  4.  —  Received  a  letter  from  Cabot 
Lodge,  saying  President  was  much  gratified  by  receiv 
ing  my  cable  accepting  Ambassadorship  at  St.  Peters 
burg.  Said  my  name  would  be  sent  to  the  Senate  soon 
after  March  4;  that  the  President  would  want  me  to 
go  in  March,  as  soon  as  possible;  that  Harry  White 
was  to  succeed  me  here. 

To  Senator  Lodge 

ROME,  February  9,  1905. 
DEAR  CABOT, — 

Day  before  yesterday  I  had  an  opportunity  to  have  a  long 
talk  with  M.  Bernoff,  Lieutenant  Colonel  aux  chevalier-gardes 
de  S.  M.  rimperatrice  douariere,  and  now  attache  in  Rome.  In 
speaking  of  the  disturbances  in  Russia,  he  talked  quite  freely. 
He  assured  me  that  he  knew  officially  that  the  number  of  killed 
and  murdered  had  been  greatly  exaggerated.  He  acknowledged 
that  there  had  been  serious  strikes,  and  that  they  had  spread  to 
other  cities  and  towns  in  Russia ;  but  he  said :  "  They  have  been 
confined  to  the  workmen.  You  have  had  serious  strikes  in 
America  and  so  they  have  had  in  France.  In  Russia  they  are 
attracting  the  attention  of  the  world  at  the  time,  for  two  rea 
sons  :  one  is  that  a  certain  socialistic  element  had  endeavoured 
to  use  the  strikes  to  help  their  cause  and  make  it  appear  to  the 
world  that  it  is  a  revolution;  the  other  is  that,  due  to  the 
fact  that  we  are  at  war  with  Japan,  any  internal  trouble 
attracts  great  attention  at  this  time.  Now  we  are  not  an  indus- 


120  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

trial  country,  and  the  fact  that  our  working  classes  in  factories 
of  certain  industrial  centres  are  on  a  strike  is  not  serious,  as 
far  as  a  revolution  is  concerned;  they  make  up  too  small  a 
part  of  the  population  of  Russia.  If  you  should  tell  me  that 
the  peasants  had  risen  and  were  in  revolt,  then  it  would  be 
serious  and  might  mean  a  revolution.  I  know  our  peasants,  my 
property  is  so  situated  that  I  live  among  them  in  the  summer. 
They  do  not  want  a  constitution,  they  do  not  even  know  what 
it  means.  They  do,  however,  desire  certain  reforms  and  powers 
given  to  the  Zemstvos,  some  of  which  are  desirable;  but  they 
are  not  ripe  for  a  revolution  nor  are  they  a  party  to  it." 

It  so  happened  that  the  next  day  I  met  at  lunch  M.  le 
Commandant  de  St.  James,  the  French  attache  militaire.  He 
was  in  Peking  during  the  time  that  the  various  Legations  were 
besieged.  He  informed  [me]  that  three  days  ago  he  received  a 
letter  from  his  brother,  who  is  the  managing  director  of  the 
Wagon-Lits  Company  in  Russia.  He  has  occasion  to  travel  a 
great  deal  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  including  the  important 
cities.  He  was  in  St.  Petersburg  at  the  time  of  the  disturbances. 
It  was  impossible  for  him  to  report  accurately  as  to  the  number 
of  killed  and  wounded;  but  outside  of  that  he  stated  that  the 
accounts  that  had  been  sent  out  were  not  exaggerated ;  if  any 
thing  they  had  been  understated.  The  crowd  that  approached 
the  Winter  Palace  was  not  a  dangerous  one,  and  he  believed 
could  have  been  held  under  control  without  the  use  of  fire-arms. 
Women,  children,  and  innocent  people  were  shot  down  without 
fair  warning  The  action  of  the  Government  had  alienated  a 
large  class  of  people,  had  shattered  their  faith  in  the  Tsar, 
which,  rightly  or  wrongly,  had  heretofore  existed,  and  now  so 
much  feeling  and  sentiment  had  been  aroused  that  it  was  his 
belief  that  sooner  or  later  a  revolution  would  come  about. 

WTmt  makes  me  believe  personally  that  public  sentiment 
is  stronger  than  ever  before  and  that  it  is  realized  in  Russia, 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  121 

is  the  fact  that  the  Grand  Duke  Vladimir  and  one  or  two  others 
have  allowed  themselves  to  be  interviewed  on  the  matter.  They 
are  not  really  disturbed  by  the  sentiment  in  America  or 
England,  but  the  fact  that  a  certain  element  in  France  has 
been  aroused  is  causing  them  some  uneasiness,  as  it  might 
affect  the  French  Cabinet  and  finally  the  relationship  between 
that  country  and  Russia. 

In  fact,  Barrere,  the  French  Ambassador,  tells  me  that 
Loubet  had  seen  certain  signs  of  this  movement,  and  had  inti 
mated  to  the  Tsar  that  Russia  would  do  well  to  take  heed,  and 
take  into  account  what  public  sentiment  might  bring  about 
under  certain  conditions. 

I  shall  take  pains  to  see  that  Colonel  de  St.  James 
arranges  to  have  this  gentleman  call  on  me  in  St.  Petersburg, 
as  he  can  be  very  valuable  in  giving  me,  later  on,  information 
as  to  the  true  sentiment  and  state  of  affairs  in  various  parts 
of  Russia. 

1  Sincerely  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 


To  President  Roosevelt 

ROME,  February  14,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  ME.  PRESIDENT,  — 

In  my  letter  of  January  20  I  stated  that  the  Russian  loan 
in  Berlin  had  been  several  times  over-subscribed.  That  was 
the  information  officially  given  out  after  the  manner  of  certain 
industrial  trust  combinations,  which  were  supposed  to  have 
been  put  out  on  the  public  successfully  by  Wall  Street  people. 
History  sometimes  repeats  itself.  The  Russian  loan,  it  turns 
out,  went  very  badly  in  reality,  and  had  to  be  taken  up  by  the 
underwriters.  My  authority  is  the  new  English  Ambassador, 
Sir  Edwin  Egerton,  with  whom  I  dined  last  night.  The  source 


122  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

of  his  information  he  considered  most  reliable;  he  added  that 
it  was  almost  inconceivable  that  in  the  last  twenty  years,  with 
the  world  advancing,  Russia  makes  no  progress,  and  even  de 
teriorates.  His  wife  is  a  Russian  woman. 

To-day  I  went  shooting  with  the  King,  and  he  corrob 
orates  what  Egerton  has  said  about  the  Russian  loan.  As  we 
were  walking  to  the  shooting-stands,  he  stopped  suddenly  and 
said :  "  I  see  it  is  officially  announced  that  you  are  going  to  St. 
Petersburg ;  of  course  it  is  a  promotion  and  a  compliment,  but 
you  have  got  a  difficult  task.  I  will  even  make  a  prophecy  that 
your  country  sooner  or  later  will  have  trouble  with  Russia  over 
China.  Russia  with  everything  tumbling  down,  as  to  her 
internal  affairs,  cannot  continue  the  war  with  Japan.  She 
will  hope  to  make  up  by  taking  from  China  the  equivalent  of 
what  she  loses  to  Japan.  Russia's  diplomacy  is  based  on  mis 
representations  and  lies,  and  she  cannot  be  trusted.  In  addi 
tion  to  her  alliance  with  France,  I  feel  sure  that  she  has  made 
some  agreement  with  Germany,  even  in  writing.  The  fact  that 
Russia  is  replacing  her  modern  guns  on  the  frontier  with 
obsolete  ones  is  additional  proof." 

The  King  stated  that  he  was  in  Russia  once  for  three 
months,  and  that  all  his  letters  had  been  previously  tampered 
with  and  opened.  There  is  no  doubt  that  it  is  regularly  done, 
and  individuals  frequently  send  their  letters  across  the  frontier 
before  they  are  posted,  in  order  to  insure  their  being  un 
opened. 

Within  three  months  an  employee  of  the  Italian  Embassy 
in  St.  Petersburg  had  been  bribed  for  certain  information,  and 
at  another  Embassy  (I  was  asked  not  to  mention  which), 
30,000  roubles  were  offered  for  the  combination  of  the  safe,  in 
order  to  get  at  the  cable  code. 

I  have  mentioned  this  to  show  the  importance  of  the  Em 
bassy  having  its  own  messenger  to  convey  the  Government's 


1905}  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  123 

bag  to  the  frontier,  i.e.,  if  my  dispatches  are  to  be  in  any  way 
confidential. 

Believe  me, 

Respectfully, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 

As  your  representative  I  had  to  keep  up  the  reputation  of 
a  sportsman.  I  shot  three  wild  boar  and  one  white  deer. 

[Diary] 

"February  17.  —  Gave  a  dinner  to  the  English 
Ambassador,  Sir  Edwin  Egerton,  and  Lady  Egerton. 
The  English  Ambassador  upset  the  dinner  by  an 
nouncing  the  death  of  the  Grand  Due  Serge  by  a  bomb 
in  Moscow  just  as  we  were  going  in.  This  was  very 
tactless,  as  there  were  several  Rusians  present.  The 
guests  included  the  Turkish  Ambassador,  Duchess  of 
Sermoneta,  Mme.  LeGhait,  Mme.  Mechin,  Mrs. 
Travers,  Princess  Frasso,  Countess  Telfener,  Count 
Moltke,  Hon.  Reginald  Lister,  Prince  Frasso,  Colonel 
Bernoff,  Mr.  Roukavichnikow. 

"  The  Grand  Due  Serge  was  actually  blown  to 
bits.  He  was  the  most  hated  of  them  all,  on  account 
of  his  severity,  cruelty,  and  reactionary  spirit.  What 
will  be  the  outcome  of  this  in  Russia?  I  am  going 
there  at  a  critical  time. 

"  February  18.  —  Write  our  names  in  the  books  of 
Russian  Embassy,  on  account  of  the  assassination  of 
the  Grand  Due  Serge.  Everything  seems  to  be  going 
to  pieces.  No  real  head,  no  fixed  purpose,  except  stub 
bornness,  which  is  the  worst  kind  of  stupidity.  They 
got  ready  for  war  too  late,  sent  reinforcements  too  late, 


124  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  w™ 

supplies  too  late,  second  fleet  too  late,  small  reforms 
given  too  late,  Emperor  received  the  workmen  too 
late,  and  now  they  may  ask  for  peace  too  late." 

To  President  Roosevelt 

ROME,  February  21,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

I  beg  leave  to  report  a  conversation  that  I  had  last  night 
after  dinner  at  the  German  Embassy  with  the  English  Ambas 
sador.  In  speaking  of  the  conditions  in  Russia  and  the  con 
sternation  due  to  the  assassination  of  the  Grand  Duke  Serge, 
he  remarked  that  it  is  now  thoroughly  recognized  by  Russians 
that  the  present  attitude  of  the  Tsar,  as  to  the  war  and 
internal  affairs,  cannot  continue,  and  that  radical  changes  will 
be  brought  about  or  forced  upon  him.  The  trouble  was  that 
the  Tsar  had  no  fixed  or  decided  policy;  that  Witte,  whom  he 
considered  the  best  man  in  Russia  for  the  present  crisis,  was 
holding  off,  because  he  does  not  want  to  take  up  matters  until 
affairs  are  in  such  shape  that  he  can  be  sure  to  bring  about 
certain  reforms  and  changes  that  he  has  long  desired. 

The  Ambassador  then  went  on  to  tell  me  of  his  last  inter 
view  (December,  1904)  with  the  Japanese  Minister  in  Madrid, 
whom  he  considered  a  very  level-headed  man. 

The  Minister  intimated  that,  under  certain  conditions, 
i.e.,  with  a  guaranty  from  England  that  it  should  not  revert 
to  Russia,  they  might  concede  Port  Arthur  to  China ;  that  in 
reality  it  was  a  port  difficult  to  keep  well  dredged  (there  were 
other  ports  that  were  more  valuable  and  accessible  as  far  as 
they  were  concerned) ;  that  the  Island  of  Sakhaline,  of  which 
they  were  deprived  about  1870,  was  of  considerable  importance 
to  them,  due  to  the  fishing  banks  (it  has  the  fog-like  character 
of  Newfoundland) ;  and  that  it  was  a  matter  of  pride  to  them 
to  regain  this. 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  125 

Whether  there  was  any  method  in  this  outburst  of  the 
Japanese  Minister  at  that  time,  I  do  not  know;  of  course  cir 
cumstances  have  changed  greatly  since.  The  fact  that  he  was 
speaking  to  an  English  Ambassador  with  a  Russian  wife  may 
have  accounted  for  the  apparent  frankness  —  provided  he 
desired  the  information  to  percolate  in  two  directions. 
Believe  me, 

Respectfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 


A  visit  to  Berlin  in  February  is  described  both  in 
the  diary  and  in  letters  to  President  Roosevelt  and 
Senator  Lodge.  In  the  diary  Mr.  Meyer  records  an 
evening  in  Munich  with  his  warm  friends,  the  Count 
and  Countess  Somssich  of  the  Austrian  Embassy  in 
Rome;  a  jocose  reference  of  the  Kaiser's,  as  on  his 
yacht  in  Norway,  to  the  confusion  of  American 
national  airs;  his  suspicions  of  the  purposes  of  Eng 
land  in  China;  and  two  meetings  with  Cecil  Arthur 
Spring-Rice,  the  English  diplomat,  for  whose  friendly 
offices  in  St.  Petersburg  President  Roosevelt  was  al 
ready  making  provisions.  But  the  letters  to  which 
allusion  has  just  been  made  give  the  salient  facts  of 
the  Berlin  excursion. 

To  President  Roosevelt 

ROME,  March  5,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

I  desire  to  acknowledge  your  favour  of  February  6.  It 
followed  me  and  came  to  hand  the  morning  after  I  reached 
Berlin. 


126  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

In  my  letter  of  February  14  I  referred  to  a  conversation 
with  the  King  of  Italy,  in  which  he  stated  his  suspicions  of  an 
agreement  between  Russia  and  Germany.  Therefore  I  desired 
to  get  my  impressions  from  the  Emperor  himself. 

I  left  here  on  the  24th  of  February,  and  announced  that 
I  was  going  to  Berlin  in  order  to  consult  Mr.  Tower  about 
houses,  etc.,  in  St.  Petersburg;  my  real  object  was  to  obtain 
an  informal  meeting  with  the  Emperor,  and  to  hear  what  he 
might  have  to  say  as  to  Russia,  as  he  can  apparently  be  very 
frank  at  times.  This  came  about  quite  naturally,  by  his  invit 
ing  me  to  a  ball  at  the  palace,  where  I  had  an  opportunity  of 
a  long  and  private  talk,  or  rather  hearing  him. 

I  gave  His  Majesty  the  message  from  your  letter  of  Feb 
ruary  14,  which  I  was  to  deliver  to  the  German  Ambassador  at 
St.  Petersburg,  i.e.,  how  pleased  you  had  been  at  the  position 
taken  by  the  Emperor,  and  that  it  was  your  belief  that  the  two 
countries  will  be  able  to  work  together  as  regards  our  policy 
in  the  Far  East. 

The  Emperor  instantly  replied:  "Position!  Tell  your 
resident  that  I  am  following  his  policy."  He  then  went  on 
very  freely  and  fully  about  the  importance  of  the  neutrality  and 
integrity  of  China  —  how  the  Tsar  never  expected  war  himself 
and  could  not  be  made  to  believe  that  it  would  take  place  until 
Japan  struck  her  decisive  blow  at  Port  Arthur.  He  referred 
to  Russia  being  unprepared  and  the  terrible  corruption  that 
existed.  At  the  end  of  our  conversation,  that  there  might  be 
no  misunderstanding  on  my  part,  I  said:  "Your  Majesty, 
then  I  may  report  to  the  President  that  you  are  in  favour  of 
both  the  neutrality  and  integrity  of  China?  "  "  Yes,"  he  re 
plied,  "  most  assuredly ;  if  there  should  be  any  partition  now 
of  China  there  is  no  knowing  where  it  would  end.  Also  say 
that  I  believe  that  neither  Russia  or  Japan  should  be  inter 
fered  with  in  any  way ;  but,"  he  added,  "  tell  the  President  to 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  127 

keep  his  eye  on  Delcasse;  I  have  ray  suspicions  as  to  his  plans 
and  the  action  of  France  under  certain  possible  circumstances." 

Every  great  power  on  the  continent  is  more  or  less  sus 
picious  of  the  others  at  the  moment.  While  they  do  not  love 
us,  but  envy  our  success  politically  and  commercially,  they 
respect  us  for  the  reason  that,  although  the  policy  of  the  Gov 
ernment  may  not  meet  their  views,  yet  they  realize  it  is  con 
sistent,  straightforward,  and  that  our  statements  can  always 
be  relied  upon. 

I  know  of  no  greater  compliment  that  could  be  paid  to  you 
and  Mr.  Hay  than  this  recognition  by  the  world  of  the  high 
plane  upon  which  you  both  have  placed  American  diplomacy. 
'  Believe  me, 

Respectfully  yours, 

'  GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 


To  Senator  Lodge 

ROME,  March  5,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  CABOT,  — 

...  I  was  fortunate  in  finding  Spring-Rice  in  Berlin, 
and  also  had  a  very  satisfactory  talk  with  him;  he  was  most 
kind  and  cordial,  and  will  be  a  great  comfort  and  assistance, 
especially  this  summer.  He,  like  most  Englishmen,  is  very  sus 
picious  of  the  Emperor,  —  taking  into  consideration  what  has 
transpired  the  last  few  years,  this  is  not  surprising,  —  yet  at 
the  moment  possibly  biassed  in  his  judgment.  The  Emperor, 
on  the  other  hand,  has  not  the  most  cordial  feelings  for  England 
and,  in  turn,  is  suspicious  and  prejudiced.  The  man,  however, 
who,  he  thinks,  requires  the  most  watching  at  the  moment  is 
Delcasse.  I  find  the  tone  of  the  French  diplomats  utterly  dif 
ferent  than  at  the  commencement  of  the  war.  They  do  not 
hesitate  to  criticize  in  plain  language  the  incapacity  of  the 
administration  of  the  Russian  army  and  navy,  and  state  that 


128  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

it  is  utterly  futile  for  Russia  to  continue  the  war.  One  impor 
tant  Frenchman  said  to  me  that  it  was  his  impression  that  after 
the  present  loan  of  800,000,000  roubles  was  floated,  it  would 
be  very  difficult  to  place  another  in  France  if  the  war 
continued. 

[Diary] 

cf  March  6.  —  Received  a  telegram  from  Washing 
ton,  saying  the  President  had  appointed  me  Ambas 
sador  to  St.  Petersburg  and  that  my  name  had  been 
sent  to  the  Senate. 

"  Court  Ball.  The  Court,  having  been  in  mourn 
ing  on  February  20  for  Grand  Duke  Sergius,  gave 
only  one  ball.  We  arrived  at  10.15,  found  every  one 
in  place  and  all  the  Diplomatic  Corps  present,  except 
the  British  Ambassador  and  his  wife,  Lady  Egerton. 
I  was  the  dean  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps,  as  the  Turkish 
Ambassador,  Rechid  Bey,  and  Barrere,  French  Am 
bassador,  were  not  present.  The  heat  and  the  crowd 
were  terrible. 

"  At  eleven  o'clock  the  King  and  Queen  entered, 
followed  by  the  Master  of  Ceremonies  and  ladies-in- 
waiting,  Countess  della  Trinita,  Princess  Teano,  and 
Donna  Franca  Florio,  looking  exceedingly  handsome. 
Had  a  long  talk  with  the  King.  Again  expressed  his 
regret  at  my  leaving.  Told  me  of  his  experience  in 
Russia.  When  he  was  in  a  port,  he  gave  20  roubles 
to  a  man.  Shortly  there  was  great  fight  over  it.  One 
man  bit  the  tongue  out  of  another,  and  he  called  the 
police,  fearing  his  Italians  would  be  injured.  The 
police  took  the  offending  man,  three  stood  on  him,  and 


,,, 


HUNTING     ON     THE     CAMPAGNA  I     Mil.     MEYER     ON     HIS     HORSE 

"RUBY" 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  129 

a  fourth  beat  him,  and  later  took  and  held  his  head 
under  water.  His  Majesty  said  it  made  him  sick. 
It  surprised  the  Russian  that  he  stopped  it.  The 
King  pointed  out  a  man  that  he  had  arrested  when  an 
officer  and  put  in  prison  for  lying  —  was  now  a 
deputy! 

'  The  Queen  spoke  first  with  the  two  Annunziate, 
then  with  the  Ambassadresses,  and  then  made  the 
round  of  the  room.  After  she  had  returned  to  her 
seat,  as  I  was  the  dean,  she  sent  for  me  first  among 
the  Diplomatic  Corps.  Asked  how  soon  I  was  leav 
ing,  and  said  what  a  pity  it  was.  The  Russian  defeat 
was  referred  to,  and  she  said  the  King's  sympathies 
were  for  Japan  and  that  at  table  they  were  always 
talking  about  it.  The  heat  was  so  great  Julia  had  to 
leave  the  ball.  Her  mother  and  Alice  received  many 
compliments. 

'  Take  Alice  hunting  with  me;  poor  sport,  but 
beautiful  day. 

fe  March  8.  —  Senate  confirms  my  appointment  as 
Ambassador  to  St.  Petersburg.  Wire  Eddy  to  hire 
the  Countess  Kleinmichel  house  1  for  an  Embassy. 

"  Kuropatkin  seems  to  be  retreating,  but  in  some 
order." 

To  Senator  Lodge 

ROME,  March  12,  1905. 
DEAR  CABOT,  — 

Yours  of  the  25th  ultimo  received.  I  am  much  obliged 
for  the  hint  as  to  the  treatment  McCormick  2  received  from 

1  Formerly  occupied  by  the  Spanish  Embassy. 

2  Robert  S.  McCormick,  of  Illinois,  Meyer's  predecessor  at  St.  Peters 
burg. 


130  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

the  Russians  when  the  war  broke  out.  I  do  not  expect  to  be 
received  with  the  glad  hand  or  smiling  countenance,  but  I 
shall  insist  upon  receiving  such  recognition  and  courtesies  as 
are  due  to  me  officially  as  Ambassador  of  the  United  States  of 
America.  The  Government,  however,  puts  me  in  an  awkward 
situation  by  not  furnishing  a  courier,  as  is  done  at  the  other 
Embassies,  to  convey  the  pouch  across  the  frontier.  Imagine 
if  the  United  States  Senators  secretly  read  each  others'  letters ; 
the  relations  between  some  of  them  would  certainly  become 
strained,  or  at  least,  not  be  as  cordial  as  they  are  now.  Neither 
would  it  conduce  to  agreeable  or  better  legislation. 

As  I  do  not  expect  to  go  to  Russia  again,  after  I  am 
through  being  Ambassador,  it  is  really  immaterial  to  me  per 
sonally  whether  they  read  my  dispatches  or  not,  except  for 
the  fact  that  their  knowledge  of  the  instructions  sent  to  me 
or  of  my  answers  to  the  Department  and  private  letters  to  the 
President  will  certainly  restrict  my  usefulness  and  make  it  very 
hard  to  carry  out  his  wishes. 

In  order  to  obtain  any  results  I  should  be  put  in  a  posi 
tion  to  forward  confidential  reports  that  should  not  be  read  by 
the  Foreign  Office  in  St.  Petersburg  before  they  reach 
Washington. 

I  mention  this  to  you  because,  in  my  letter  of  January 
20  to  the  President,  I  asked  if  the  question  of  a  courier  might 
have  his  support.  In  his  favour  of  February  6  he  does  not  refer 
to  it.  Now,  I  do  not  want  to  make  this  demand  to  the  State 
Department  if  it  does  not  meet  with  his  approval.  Therefore, 
if  you  could  let  me  know  it  would  be  much  appreciated.1 

I  quoted  the  opinions  of  the  Russian  attache  and  the 
French  director  in  St.  Petersburg,  in  order  to  show  how  far 
apart  they  were.  While  there  is  no  question  about  the  Russians 
lying,  they  are  at  the  same  time  very  stubborn  and  apparently 
unable  to  see  the  handwriting  on  the  wall. 

i  Meyer's  request  for  a  special  courier  was  granted. 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  131 

Yesterday  I  had  a  half  an  hour  call  at  my  apartment 
from  the  Chinese  Minister,  who  came  with  his  French  inter 
preter.  He  informed  me  that  in  Peking  they  realized  that  we 
were  the  only  country  that  was  absolutely  sincere,  when  we 
asserted  that  we  desired  no  territory  in  their  Kingdom,  but 
were  for  the  neutrality  and  integrity  of  China.  He  asked  what 
we  intended  to  send  to  Manchuria  when  the  open  door  was 
established,  and  if  Alaska  joined  Russian  territory?  I  related 
to  him  that,  in  the  last  few  years,  we  had  taken  in  gold  from 
Alaska  as  much  if  not  more  than  we  had  paid  Russia  for  the 
entire  territory.  I  have  never  heard  him  laugh  out  loud  before, 
but  he  threw  himself  back  in  his  chair  and  seemed  immensely 
amused  by  this. 

Barrere  has  written  his  colleague,  the  French  Ambassador 
in  St.  Petersburg,  to  give  me  whatever  assistance  he  can. 

The  day  after  I  was  confirmed  in  the  Senate,  I  cabled 
the  State  Department  to  send  my  letters  of  recall,  official  pass 
ports  for  myself  and  family,  and  letters  of  credence,  all 
together,  direct  to  Rome,  as  it  will  assist  me  and  expedite 
matters  to  have  it  done  in  that  way. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 


[Diary] 

<e  March  19.  —  Farewell  dinner  given  to  us  by  sixty 
Italians  at  the  Grand  Hotel.  They  included  the  Ser- 
monetas,  Teanos,  Bruschis,  Terranovas,  Viggianos, 
Paternos,  Caetanis,  Sinninos  (Colonna),  Orsinis, 
Donna  Franca  Florio,  Rudinis,  Tittonis,  Ruspoli, 
Grazioli,  Guglielmis,  Mazzoleni,  Lecca  Cappelli, 
Bourbon  del  Montis,  Belmonti,  Apollonj,  Cavriani, 
Sforza,  Pietromarchi,  etc. 


132  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

"  It  was  a  remarkable  gathering  of  the  Court;  the 
6  Blacks,'  the  Cabinet  were  all  represented.  It  was 
given  in  the  library,  beautifully  decorated,  in  all  seven 
tables,  about  ten  each.  The  Duke  of  Sermoneta  made 
the  toast  of  the  evening,  being  most  cordial  and  com 
plimentary  in  his  remarks,  and  ended  by  saying  that 
whenever  we  returned,  we  would  find  our  welcome 
most  cordial  and  their  hearts  as  warm  towards  us  as 
ever,  and  that  our  departure  was  a  great  loss  to  them 
and  to  Rome. 

"  The  young  Marquis  Guglielmi  then  spoke  for  the 
young  Italians,  in  the  same  cordial  and  hearty  man 
ner,  and  was  most  complimentary  to  Alice  and  the 
girls.  The  speeches  had  been  made  in  French,  so 
I  answered  as  follows :  '  Mes  amis,  permettez-moi 
d'employer  cette  expression  a  votre  egard.  Je  suis 
tres  flatte  et  touche  meme  de  votre  attention  ce  soir. 
Dans  toute  ma  vie  je  n'ai  jamais  ete  plus  content  ni 
plus  heureux  que  pendant  mon  sejour  a  Rome.  Je 
pars  maintenant,  ou  bientot,  et  ce  n'est  pas  sans 
regret,  je  vous  assure.  Je  me  souviendrai  tou jours 
avec  affection  de  vos  bontes  et  de  votre  hospitalite. 
Je  desire  vous  remercier  pour  moi  meme  d'abord,  et 
puis  au  nom  de  ma  famille.' 

'  The  Duke  thanked  me  for  my  remarks,  and  said 
that  such  a  dinner  had  never  before  been  given  to 
any  ambassador  of  any  country!" 

From  a  letter  to  President  Roosevelt,  dated  March 
25,  a  single  sentence  should  be  quoted :  "  This  morning  I 
received  a  letter  from  Eddy,  in  which  he  informs  me 


AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  133 

that  the  German  Emperor  has  sent  an  autograph 
letter  to  the  German  Ambassador  there,  asking  him 
to  show  me  every  courtesy  and  attention,  and  to  be 
of  as  much  assistance  as  possible." 

The  diary  proceeds :  - 

<f  March  27.  —  Have  asked  for  audience  with  his 
Majesty,  as  I  intend  leaving  Saturday,  April  1,  and 
to  be  allowed  to  take  my  conge  without  presenting 
my  letters  of  recall,  which  are  to  be  presented  by  Mr. 
White;1  also  for  an  audience  for  Alice  and  myself  with 
the  Queen.  Wired  the  Department  that  I  had  asked 
for  farewell  audiences  and  that  Mr.  White  would 
present  my  letters  of  recall.  Shall  start  for  Paris, 
Saturday,  April  1,  and  then  proceed  to  St.  Petersburg 
as  soon  as  my  letters  of  credence  arrive.  They  are 
on  the  Lucania,  which  sailed  from  New  York  for 
Bremen,  Saturday,  March  25. 

fc  March  28.  —  Farewell  audience  with  the  Queen 
Mother  at  2.30.  Received  us  most  cordially,  talked 
a  good  deal  about  Russia.  She  spoke  of  him  [the 
Tsar]  as  a  man  who  had  not  kept  his  word  about 
Finland  and  treated  the  people  abominably.  I  also 
recalled  the  fact  that  he  had  done  so  in  regard  to  his 
returning  the  visit  of  the  King  of  Italy.  Gave  me  a 
list  of  very  interesting  books  on  Japan,  which  she 
wrote  herself  on  my  card. 

ef  March  29.  —  It  is  said  that  the  Japanese  are 
surrounding  and  cutting  off  the  retreat  of  General 
Linevitch.  If  true,  it  will  be  a  terrible  defeat  for  the 
Russians.  The  talk  for  peace  continues;  the  Japanese 

i  Henry  White,  Meyer's  successor  as  United  States  Ambassador  to  Italy. 


134.  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

have  placed  a  loan  in  London  and  New  York,  and 
the  French  have  given  out  that  they  will  not  make 
another  loan  unless  peace  is  made.  Meantime  the 
Tsar  has  declined  the  good  offices  of  the  Emperor 
for  peace.  He  cannot,  and  will  not,  be  enlightened  as 
to  the  terrible  disaster  awaiting  his  Empire  abroad 
and  at  home. 

"  March  SO.  —  Farewell  audience  with  the  King  at 
11  o'clock.  Expressed  great  regret  at  my  departure 
and  hoped  I  would  come  back.  I  complimented  His 
Majesty  on  the  advance  in  prosperity  which  had  taken 
place  since  my  sojourn  in  Italy.  I  said  I  wished 
baccarat  could  be  stopped  at  the  clubs,  as  it  was 
ruining  so  many  young  men.  '  There  is  a  law  against 
it.'  *  Yes,'  I  replied,  '  but  it  is  not  enforced,  and 
public  sentiment  should  be  aroused  in  the  matter.' 
After  a  talk  of  half  an  hour  the  King  ended  the  audi 
ence  by  saying,  '  The  Queen  and  myself  will  have 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  at  dinner  to-night.'  He 
told  me  that  he  would  guarantee  to  copy  the  seal  on 
our  pouch  in  two  minutes,  and  was  very  glad  to  hear 
that  I  had  obtained  a  messenger  from  my  Govern 
ment. 

"  The  King  and  Queen  give  us  a  farewell  dinner 
at  the  Royal  palace  at  8  o'clock.  I  gave  my  arm  to 
the  Queen  and  the  King  escorted  Alice,  to  my  sur 
prise  going  behind.  The  dinner  was  served  in  the 
room  with  five  tapestries,  that  is  used  as  a  supper- 
room  after  a  reception  to  the  Corps  Diplomatique. 
The  King  was  not  very  talkative  at  dinner,  but  the 
Queen  talked  a  good  deal  in  French.  She  told  me  a 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  ITALY  135 

good  deal  of  Russian  life.  As  usual  talked  of  her 
children.  Was  amazed  when  I  told  her  that  I  had 
sold  my  auto  for  35,000  francs;  told  the  King  about 
it  across  the  table  and  said  *  I  wish  you  would  stay 
and  sell  mine  for  that.' 

"  After  dinner  Gianotti  took  me  to  another  room, 
where  we  smoked  our  cigars. 

"March  31.  —  My  first  and  farewell  audience  with 
the  Pope.  Alice,  the  girls,  myself,  and  Bey  had  our 
audience  at  12.  He  received  us  in  his  library  and 
made  us  all  sit  down  while  he  sat  at  his  desk.  He 
talked  very  clearly  and  distinctly  in  Italian,  and  I 
answered  him  in  French.  He  told  me  that  he  was 
corresponding  with  the  Tsar  and  prayed  for  peace. 
He  noticed  that  Julia  had  a  photograph  of  him  in  her 
hand,  which  he  offered  to  sign. 

"  Afterwards  we  paid  our  respects  to  Merry  del 
Val,  Secretary  of  State,  in  the  Borghese  apartment  of 
the  Vatican.  We  joked  about  young  men  getting  in 
office  both  in  America  and  in  the  Vatican.  He  is  very 
clean-cut  looking. 

"April  1. —  Farewell  audience  with  H.R.H.  the 
Duchess  of  Aosta,  at  the  Quirinal  Palace,  at  10 
o'clock.  She  received  me  in  a  most  cordial  and 
friendly  manner.  Looked  very  well.  She  was  very 
outspoken  about  the  Russians  and  the  Grand  Dukes, 
saying  they  were  such  terrible  thieves.  Another 
winter  they  were  to  live  in  Naples,  and  she  hoped  to 
get  some  riding,  which  I  told  her  would  be  very  easy 
if  she  lived  in  Capo-di-Monti.  She  was  now  going 
to  join  the  Queen  of  England.  After  nearly  an  hour's 


136  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

call,  she  wished  me  good-bye,  asked  me  to  send  her 
mine  and  Alice's  photographs. 

"  Leave  Rome  at  1.40,  on  the  train  for  Paris.  All 
the  Chefs  de  Mission  were  down  to  see  me  off,  also 
Tittoni,  Fusinato,  Malvano,  Gianotti,  and  a  host  of 
Italians.  It  was  most  flattering,  and  I  felt  really 
touched  by  their  kindness  and  expressions,  as  though 
I  was  parting  from  old  friends  who  have  made  my 
stay  in  Italy  among  the  most  delightful  of  my  life, 
both  for  me  and  my  family." 


IV 

AMBASSADOR   TO  RUSSIA 

(1905-1907) 

THE  physical  contrast  between  Rome  and  St.  Peters 
burg  is  accurately  symbolic  of  the  differences  between 
the  life  and  work  of  Mr.  Meyer  as  Ambassador  in 
Italy  and  in  Russia.  In  changing  the  sunlight  of  his 
first  post  for  the  snows  of  his  second,  he  changed  the 
background  of  a  peaceful  and  happy  country  for  that 
of  a  land  at  once  engaged  in  a  losing  fight  with  a 
foreign  foe  and  distracted  with  internal  troubles  of  a 
most  sinister  nature.  He  left  a  modern  democracy, 
under  the  temperate  leadership  of  a  constitutional 
monarch,  and  went  to  the  European  capital  at  which 
autocracy  was  to  be  seen  at  its  worst.  In  the  nature 
of  the  case,  his  duties  —  and  with  them  his  responsi 
bilities  and  opportunities  —  were  enormously  multi 
plied.  There  were  still  many  pleasures  to  be  seized 
and  enjoyed  as  they  passed  —  pleasures  of  society, 
more  intensively  national,  less  cosmopolitan,  outside 
the  circle  of  diplomats,  than  in  Rome;  and  of  sport, 
distinctively  Russian  in  many  of  its  forms,  and  there 
fore  novel  and  noteworthy  to  an  American. 

But  the  pleasures,  the  indispensable  "  plush  busi 
ness  "    of    an    ambassador  —  as    President    Roosevelt 

137 


138  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

had  so  well  defined  it  —  could  occupy  but  a  secondary 
place  in  the  concerns  of  the  representative  of  a  great 
country  and  a  great  President  in  such  a  crisis  of 
world-politics  and  history  as  that  which  coincided  in 
point  of  time  with  the  period  of  Meyer's  service  in 
Russia.  Within  two  months  of  his  arrival  at  St. 
Petersburg,  it  fell  to  him  to  conduct  in  person  the 
negotiations  with  the  Tsar  which  led  to  the  Peace 
Conference  at  Portsmouth  on  the  conclusion  of  the 
Russo-Japanese  War;  a  little  more  than  two  months 
later,  he  secured  from  the  Tsar,  again  in  person,  the 
agreements  upon  terms  which  brought  about  the  sign 
ing  of  the  treaty;  he  followed  with  shrewd  eyes  the 
inward  disturbances  of  Russia,  watched  the  unpro- 
pitious  opening  of  the  Duma,  and,  further  afield,  the 
personal  and  international  differences  which  the  con 
ference  at  Algeciras  sought  to  adjust.  As  during  his 
years  at  Rome,  there  were  several  meetings  with  the 
Kaiser,  and,  on  his  way  home  from  Russia,  audiences, 
besides,  with  the  Kings  of  Italy  and  Great  Britain. 
For  all  these  reasons  his  diaries  and  letters  in 
1905,  1906,  and  1907,  written  in  a  Russia  which  since 
1914  has  in  many  respects  gone  the  way  of  Nineveh 
and  Babylon,  possess  an  uncommon  interest  and  his 
torical  value.  They  deal  with  events  and  personalities 
so  familiar  and  important  that  little  explication  is  re 
quired.  Through  the  years  of  his  ambassadorship  in 
Russia,  his  family,  because  of  the  climate  and  condi 
tions  of  the  country,  was  with  him  less  than  in  any 
period  of  his  public  life.  For  this  very  reason  it  may 
be  that  his  own  record  of  his  daily  experiences  is  the 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  139 

more  complete.  It  is  so  abundant  that,  more  than  in 
any  other  portions  of  this  biography,  it  will  of  itself 
tell  the  story  to  be  told. 

The  diary,  first  of  all,  describes  a  few  days  in 
Paris,  where  on  April  4  Meyer  had  an  interview  with 
Delcasse,  French  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  who 
"  tells  me  that  no  pourparlers  have  commenced  for 
peace  and  cannot  until  both  are  ready  to  do  so."  The 
next  day  he  took  the  train  for  St.  Petersburg. 

"April  6,  1905.  —  Arrive  at  the  frontier  at  9 
o'clock.  Immediately  shown  to  a  waiting  [official]. 
Fortunately  I  spoke  German,  as  they  only  understood 
that  language  and  Russian.  Impressed  by  the  pe 
culiar  costumes  —  the  coats  having  skirts  and  tied 
around  the  waists  by  a  cord.  The  porters  wear 
aprons.  On  handing  in  my  passports  and  laissez 
passer,  which  had  been  vises,  there  was  very  little 
delay. 

"  April  7.  —  The  Russian  sleeping-car  is  the  most 
comfortable  that  I  have  travelled  in,  being  wider  and 
higher  than  the  ordinary,  with  electric  lights,  well  ar 
ranged,  and  comfortable  beds,  chairs,  and  well  up 
holstered. 

"  The  country  was  covered  with  snow,  and  the 
houses  of  wood;  the  forests  and  the  fields  reminded 
me  of  Canada,  the  architecture  of  the  churches,  how 
ever,  being  absolutely  different. 

"  Arrived  in  St.  Petersburg  on  time,  at  2.25.  Met 
at  the  station  by  Mr.  Eddy,1  Mr.  Bliss,2  the  Consul 

1  Spencer  Eddy,  counsellor  of  the  American  Embassy. 

2  Robert  Woods  Bliss,  Second  Secretary. 


140  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

General,  Mr.  Watts,1  Mr.  de  Frescheville,  head  clerk, 
and  Mr.  Vezey,  my  secretary.  Went  first  to  Hotel 
Europe,  to  see  my  rooms,  which  were  very  comfortable 
and  spacious,  with  a  modern  bath-room  and  American 
fixtures.  Then  to  the  Chancery,  where  I  found  my 
credentials  awaiting  me.  Cabled  Washington  that  I 
had  taken  possession  of  my  post." 

The  diary  proceeds  with  many  details  of  the  first 
days  in  St.  Petersburg,  summarized  in  the  following 
letter  to  Mr.  Meyer's  uncle  in  New  York:  — 

To  Thomas  Meyer 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  3/16  April,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  UNCLE  TOM,  — 

It  may  interest  you  to  hear  something  about  my  arrival 
in  St.  Petersburg  and  presentation  to  Their  Majesties  the  Tsar, 
Tsarina,  and  the  Dowager  Empress. 

After  leaving  Italy  in  the  full  bloom  of  springtime,  with 
all  the  blossoms  and  flowers  in  the  fields,  it  was  rather  a  sur 
prise  to  wake  up  after  crossing  the  frontier  and  find  myself 
in  the  midst  of  winter,  with  a  severe  snow-storm  raging  on  all 
sides.  I  left  Paris  by  the  Nord-Express  at  two  o'clock 
Wednesday,  April  5,  and  arrived  in  St.  Petersburg  on  Friday, 
April  7.  The  country  between  the  frontier  and  St.  Peters 
burg,  with  its  forests  and  fields  covered  with  snow,  and  wooden 
farmhouses,  reminded  me  very  much  of  Canada,  yet  I  realized 
how  far  off  I  was  when  I  entered  St.  Petersburg  and  found  the 
streets  full  of  these  little  droshky  sleighs,  without  any  bells. 

I  was  met  at  the  station  by  my  secretaries  and  the  Consul- 
General  and  suite  of  the  Embassy,  and  after  inspecting  my 
rooms  at  the  Hotel  d'Europe,  went  direct  to  the  Chancery  and 

i  Ethelbert  Watts,  of  Pennsylvania. 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA 

took  the  oath  of  office.  The  following  day  I  called  on  Count 
Lamsdorff,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  presented  a  copy  of 
my  letter  of  credence  and  asked  for  an  audience,  in  order  that 
I  might  present  the  original  to  His  Imperial  Majesty.  Count 
Lamsdorff  does  not  suggest  the  typical  Russian.  He  is  rather 
a  small  man,  with  cordial  manners,  and  not  the  type  of  the 
European  diplomatist,  except  that  he  never  expresses  a  decided 
opinion. 

Wednesday,  April  12,  was  the  day  appointed  for  my 
audience  with  Their  Imperial  Majesties.  A  special  royal  train 
was  assigned  to  take  me  from  St.  Petersburg,  at  1.40,  in  which 
there  were  four  masters  of  ceremony  and  my  own  suite.  Arriv 
ing  at  the  station,  which  is  only  half  an  hour  distant  from  St. 
Petersburg,  I  was  received  by  the  master  of  ceremony  and  his 
assistant  at  the  station,  where  there  were  four  gilded  royal 
coaches  assigned  to  convey  me  to  the  palace.  In  the  first  there 
were  two  masters  of  ceremony;  in  the  second,  which  consisted 
of  the  royal  coach  swung  on  ancient  C-springs,  with  coach 
men,  footmen,  and  outriders  in  royal  livery,  and  drawn  by  six 
white  horses,  myself  and  the  master  of  ceremony ;  in  the  third, 
the  secretaries  of  the  Embassy,  and  in  the  fourth,  the  remaining 
aides-de-camp. 

The  procession  proceeded  slowly,  on  account  of  the  snow, 
to  the  park  and  palace  of  Tsarskoe  Selo.  The  Emperor  was  not 
living  in  the  great  palace,  but  in  the  Alexander  Palace,  which 
is  about  four  times  the  size  of  the  White  House,  the  exterior 
architecture  being  of  that  character,  with  a  porch  and  columns 
at  each  end  of  the  palace,  the  interior  being  Empire  style  of 
the  best  period. 

After  we  had  alighted  and  entered  the  palace,  and  the 
members  of  the  royal  household  had  been  presented,  we  formed 
in  procession  and  marched  slowly  and  solemnly  to  the  reception- 
room  hall  of  the  Dowager  Empress.  She  reminded  me  very 


142  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

much  of  the  Queen  of  England,  due  to  her  coiffure,  a  style 
which  is  rather  peculiar  to  the  present  Queen  of  England  and 
the  Princesses.  She  expressed  much  interest  in  my  sojourn  m 
Italy,  where  she  had  never  been,  and  also  in  the  present  trip 
of  her  sister,  the  Queen  of  England,  throughout  the  Mediter 
ranean.  After  the  audience  was  completed,  I  presented  my 
secretaries  to  Her  Majesty  and  the  procession  formed  again, 
marching  to  the  other  end  of  the  palace,  where  the  Imperial 
Guard  was  drawn  up,  giving  the  salute  in  honour  of  the 
Ambassador. 

On  entering  the  reception  hall,  I  was  received  at  the  same 
time  by  the  Emperor  and  Empress,  who  were  standing  in  the 
centre  'of  the  room.  I  made  the  customary  three  bows,  one  on 
the  threshold,  one  halfway,  and  the  other  as  I  shook  hands 
with  the  Emperor,  and  saluted  and  kissed  the  hand  of  the 
Empress.  She  had  a  very  triste  and  restrained  air,  and  has 
grown  much  stouter,  as  she  has  been  nursing  the  Tsare- 
vich. 

The  photographs  of  the  Emperor  give  one  an  excellent 
idea,  as  he  resembles  them  strongly.  He  appears  to  be  rather 
retiring  and  a  little  embarrassed  in  talking,  but  he  looked  in 
better  condition  than  I  expected.  The  conversation  progressed 
rather  hesitatingly,  or  without  much  fluency,  until  I  happened 
to  remark  that  I  had  met  His  Imperial  Majesty's  brother,  the 
Grand  Duke  Michel,  at  Kiel,  when  I  was  racing  there  with  the 
Emperor  of  Germany.  He  quite  waked  up  then,  and  wished  to 
know  all  about  it,  and  as  the  incident1  was  rather  amusing,  it 
broke  the  ice  and  made  my  audience  pass  off  very  pleasantly. 
It  happened  that  I  was  at  Kiel  the  summer  of  the  King  of 
England's  coronation  and  had  been  racing  the  entire  day  on 
the  Meteor  with  the  Kaiser  and  Prince  Henry.  That  evening 
we  had  gone  into  a  little  port  called  Eckernforde,  where  the 

i  See  ante,  p.  61. 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  143 

Emperor  each  year  has  a  smoke-talk  and  beer  evening  at  the 
little  town  hall,  to  which  all  the  owners  of  the  different  yachts 
are  invited.  In  the  middle  of  the  evening,  while  I  was  sitting 
next  to  the  Emperor,  Prince  Henry  came  up  and  announced 
that  His  Royal  Highness  the  Grand  Duke  Michel  had  just 
entered  the  harbour  on  the  Russian  yacht,  having  come  straight 
from  England,  and  that  he  desired  to  have  an  audience  with 
His  Majesty.  The  Emperor  replied  that  that  was  impossible 
on  account  of  his  costume  and  the  entertainment  of  the  evening, 
but  that  he  would  be  pleased  to  see  him  if  he  would  come 
informally.  Prince  Henry  disappeared,  and  returned  in  about 
an  hour  afterwards  with  the  Grand  Duke  and  his  suite,  who 
must  have  been  surprised.  The  Emperor,  as  he  entered  the 
room,  remarked  to  me :  "  I  imagine  this  is  the  first  time  a  Grand 
Duke  has  seen  a  King  receive  in  such  an  informal  way  as  this." 
I  moved  away,  after  being  presented  to  the  Grand  Duke,  in 
order  to  give  him  my  place,  and  Prince  Henry  then  told  me  of 
his  experience.  He  had  found  it  impossible  to  get  hold  of  a 
launch,  as  they  were  all  out  at  the  yachts,  not  having  been 
ordered  to  be  at  the  docks  until  an  hour  later,  so  he  hailed  a 
fishing  boat  and  was  rowed  out  to  the  Russian  yacht  by  three 
fishermen.  When  he  approached,  the  flash-lights  were  thrown 
on  him  and  he  was  forbidden  to  come  on  board.  He  said :  "  That 
incensed  me  for  the  moment,  but  I  realized  the  situation  and 
that  it  would  be  foolish  for  me  to  announce  that  I  was  Prince 
Henry,  as  it  would  not  have  been  believed,  but  I  stated  that  I 
was  a  German  Admiral  and  insisted  upon  coming  aboard.  After 
some  hesitation,  I  was  allowed  to  approach  the  boat,  and  con 
fusion  reigned  for  a  moment  when  they  recognized  who  I  was, 
and  explanations  and  excuses  on  both  sides  were  the  order  of 
the  day." 

The  Emperor  and  Empress  laughed  over   the  description, 
and  after  further  conversation  of  about  fifteen  minutes,  the 


144  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

audience  was  closed  by  the  Emperor  asking  me  to  present  my 
secretaries. 

The  stories  that  he  attempted  suicide  are  foolish  news 
paper  gossip.  I  was  also  surprised  to  see  that  the  palace  was 
not  guarded,  but  there  seemed  to  be  simply  two  sentries  at  the 
gates.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  beautiful  park  with  trees  and 
drives  and  walks,  and  looks  brilliant  from  the  sun  shining  on 
the  snow. 

All  talk  of  peace  seems  to  have  evaporated  for  the  present, 
a  different  aspect  and  condition  of  affairs  being  established  by 
the  arrival  of  Rodjestvensky's  fleet  in  Chinese  waters.  They 
have  great  expectation  of  what  he  may  be  able  to  accomplish. 
The  vital  issues  are,  however,  not  in  the  East,  but  in  the 
country  itself,  where  the  agitations  are  spreading  in  every 
direction  among  the  people  for  a  constitution  or  representative 
government.  Unfortunately,  the  reactionists  seem  to  have  the 
ear  of  His  Majesty,  and  while  many  promises  are  made  for 
reforms,  no  progress  is  really  made  and  nothing  actually  accom 
plished.  It  seems  to  be  a  policy  of  drifting  and  postponing. 
The  people  are  beginning  to  realize  that  it  is  a  matter  of  words 
with  the  Government  and  not  of  action,  and  unless  something 
is  really  done,  the  tendency  in  the  land  is  towards  revolution. 
The  reformists,  as  well  as  the  Government,  are  at  a  disad 
vantage,  because  there  are  no  real  leaders ;  but  it  is  very  sad  to 
see  this  country  drifting  towards  chaos  from  a  lack  of  appre 
ciation  of  the  real  situation  and  the  necessity  of  reforms. 

I  have  nothing  to  criticize  in  the  way  of  my  reception.  The 
Russians  that  I  have  met  have  been  extremely  courteous  and 
in  some  cases  hospitable,  and  there  is  nothing  to  complain  of 
except  the  climate.  I  have  leased  the  Countess  Kleinmichel's 
house,  which  was  formerly  the  Spanish  Embassy,  when  Prince 
Pio  of  Savoy  was  here,  a  little  over  a  year  ago.  My  family 
are  leaving  Rome  to-morrow  and  will  work  up  slowly  to  Paris. 


mam 


I 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  145 

I  have  not  quite  decided  when  to  let  them  come  up  here,  as  I 
am  watching  the  trend  of  events.  There  is  a  good  deal  of 
nervousness  among  the  people,  though  as  far  as  the  eye  is  con 
cerned,  the  city  is  in  a  normal  condition.  There  is  a  feeling 
that  there  may  be  a  movement  on  the  first  of  May  throughout 
Russia,  but  I  should  be  surprised  if  anything  is  really  accom 
plished,  because  the  Government  and  the  troops  will  be  pre 
pared,  such  a  long  notice  having  been  given. 

I  hope  this  finds  you  well  after  the  severe  winter  that  you 
have  had  in  New  York.  I  suppose  by  the  time  this  reaches  you, 
you  will  be  thinking  of  running  down  to  the  Suffolk  Club,  and 
I  envy  your  casting  a  fly  for  the  trout. 

Sincerely  your  nephew, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 


In  a  letter  to  President  Roosevelt,  written  three 
days  earlier,  Meyer  had  written  thus  of  his  first  inter 
view  with  the  Emperor  and  Empress:  - 

I  had  hoped  I  should  see  the  Emperor  alone,  as  the  English 
Ambassador  had  told  me  that  the  young  Empress  was  influencing 
her  husband  to  continue  the  war  and  gain  a  victory. 

I  delivered  your  instructions  as  cabled  by  Adee  on  March 
27,  and  she  drew  nearer  and  never  took  her  eyes  off  the  Tsar. 
When  I  pronounced  the  words :  "  At  a  proper  season,  when  the 
two  warring  nations  are  willing,  the  President  would  gladly 
use  his  impartial  good  offices  towards  the  realization  of  an 
honourable  and  lasting  peace,  alike  advantageous  to  the  parties 
and  beneficial  to  the  world,"  His  Majesty  looked  embarrassed, 
and  then  said,  "  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it " ;  but  instantly 
turned  the  conversation  on  to  another  subject,  never  alluding  to 
it  again. 


146  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  I*905 

A  postscript  to  this  letter  adds :  — 

It  is  already  said  by  a  certain  Grand  Duchess  that  the 
Tsarina  was  present  on  purpose  to  prevent  the  Tsar  commit 
ting  himself  in  any  way  or  my  having  an  extended  conversa 
tion. 

In  his  diary  for  April  12  Meyer,  moreover, 
had  written: 

"  Delivered  my  special  instructions  from  the  Presi 
dent  about  offering  to  use  his  good  offices  for  peace. 
He  seemed  embarrassed,  merely  said,  '  I  am  glad  to 
hear  it.'  The  Empress  watched  him  like  a  cat.  She 
is  for  continuing  the  war." 

It  was  obvious  enough  that  difficulties  lay  ahead. 
Meanwhile  there  were  many  signs  that  agreeable  per 
sonal  relations  would  soon  be  established  in  the  portions 
of  St.  Petersburg  society  with  which  Meyer  was  to  be 
come  most  familiar.  Cordial  audiences  with  the  Grand 
Dukes  followed  in  rapid  succession  before  the  end  of 
April.  Almost  immediately  upon  his  arrival  he  wrote 
in  his  diary :  — 

"  As  yet  I  have  received  only  politeness  from  the 
Russians,  and  in  the  most  well-bred  manner.  Called 
on  the  different  Ambassadors,  but  found  only  three 
at  home:  M.  Bompard  [the  French  Ambassador],  who 
told  me  that  he  had  already  received  a  letter  from 
Barrere  about  me  (I  envied  the  Government  tapes 
tries  that  he  had  in  his  house) ;  Baron  d'Aehrenthal, 
the  Austrian  Ambassador,  who  impressed  me  as  a 
clean-cut,  able  man,  high-bred  looking;  and  Chevalier 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  147 

Melegari,  the  Italian  Ambassador.  Although  we  had 
never  seen  each  other  before,  we  met  as  old  friends, 
having  so  many  in  common  in  Italy.  Late  in  the 
afternoon  drove  to  the  Belosselskys.  She  was  a  Miss 
Whittier  of  Boston,  and  is  one  of  the  smartest  women 
in  St.  P.,  and  belongs  to  the  most  agreeable  set.  Polo 
is  played  in  their  grounds." 

Meyer  himself  was  soon  taking  part  in  the  game, 
and  in  many  ways  rapidly  extending  his  acquaintance 
in  St.  Petersburg.  The  British  Ambassador,  Sir 
Charles  Hardinge,  and  the  German,  Graf  von  Alvens- 
leben,  begin  to  figure  in  his  journal.  The  Turkish 
Ambassador  tells  him  one  day  that  he  was  in  Paris 
during  the  Siege  of  1870,  and  the  Commune.  "  Dur 
ing  the  Commune,"  the  diary  reports,  "  food  got  very 
scarce,  and  one  day  his  cook  said  that  he  had  been 
able  to  get  a  hare  only  with  great  difficulty;  but  two 
days  later  he  noticed  that  his  cat  was  missing,  and 
found  that  he  had  eaten  it."  Employments  of  many 
kinds  were  soon  filling  the  days  as  full  as  they  had 
been  at  Rome.  In  a  letter  to  his  wife  he  described 
his  first  capercailzie,  or  "  cock-of -the- woods,"  shoot, 
mentioned  also  in  a  letter  of  the  next  day  to  the 
President. 

To  Mrs.  Meyer 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  21/4  May,  1905. 

.  .  .  Last  Monday  I  went  out  with  Csekonics1  to 
shoot  the  capercailzie.  At  the  Club  House  we  joined  Prince 
Belosselsky  and  several  other  Russians.  No  Ambassador  has 

i  Count  Ivan  CsekonicB,  Attache",  late  Secretary  of  the  Austrian  Em 
bassy. 


148  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

been  out  there  shooting  since  the  Duke  of  Montebello  was  here 
as  French  Ambassador.  They  were  all  exceedingly  polite,  and 
I  enjoyed  it  very  much;  but  it  is  different  from  any  sport  that 
I  have  ever  engaged  in  and  very  hard  work.  We  sat  up  till  mid 
night  playing  bridge,  and  then  had  to  start  off  for  the  woods, 
over  the  worst  roads  I  have  ever  struck,  in  wagons  with  no 
springs.  After  going  as  far  as  possible,  you  get  down  and  walk 
in  leather  boots  up  to  your  hips  through  the  woods.  That  I 
enjoyed  very  much,  because  it  was  so  weird  and  attractive. 
When  we  got  near  the  rendezvous,  in  order  not  to  disturb  the 
game,  I  had  to  sit  down  and  wait  for  the  coming  dawn,  and  it 
was  so  interesting  hearing  the  different  wood  sounds.  First, 
about  2  A.M.,  was  the  screech  of  the  night-owl,  and  strange  to 
say,  the  first  bird  that  sang  before  the  break  of  dawn  was  the 
grey  partridge.  Then  came  the  call  of  the  moose,  and  later 
on  the  signal  of  the  capercailzie  to  his  mate,  for  which  we  were 
waiting.  Then  we  began  stalking,  so  to  speak,  the  bird,  which 
is  sitting  in  some  high  tree  giving  the  peculiar  sounds.  You 
can  only  take  about  three  steps  at  a  time,  and  must  stop 
instantly  when  he  stops  singing.  Otherwise  he  takes  alarm 
before  you  can  get  within  gun-shot.  The  difficulty  is  to  locate 
the  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  forest,  and  to  be  able  to  outline  the 
bird  against  the  sky,  because  it  is  still  dark,  with  a  slight  grey 
dawn,  when  you  begin  to  shoot.  I  was  very  fortunate  and 
killed  two,  which  was  the  limit  last  year  for  one  morning,  and 
could  have  shot  a  third,  but  my  guide  prevented  it,  not  knowing 
the  regulations  had  been  changed  this  year  to  three,  which 
Belosselsky  managed  to  obtain.  We  got  back  to  the  Club 
House  between  five  and  six,  and  then  had  coffee  and  eggs,  and 
I  turned  in  later  and  slept  till  noon.  In  the  afternoon  we  went 
woodcock  shooting  but  had  very  poor  sport.  It  was  the  most 
difficult  walking,  as  the  roads  are  impossible,  even  for  walking. 
One  sinks  almost  to  one's  knees  and  slips,  and  we  finally  took 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  149 

to  the  fields.  That  night  we  went  through  the  same  routine, 
only  the  birds  would  not  give  the  call  the  next  morning,  as  it 
was  a  day  like  the  first  of  June  at  home.  I  never  saw  such  a 
wonderful  sunset,  and  I  have  never  seen  such  neglected  and 
undeveloped  country.  Great  possibilities,  but  no  organization 
and  no  energy. 

That  day  we  got  into  St.  Petersburg  at  eight  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  having  been  up  all  night,  and  I  was  indeed  glad 
to  jump  into  bed  for  three  or  four  hours,  as  I  was  obliged  to 
lunch  at  one  and  call  at  the  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs  in  the 
afternoon,  where  all  of  my  colleagues  assembled.  The  English 
and  Spanish  Ambassadors,  however,  are  both  away  on  leave. 

To  President  Roosevelt 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  22/5  May,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

Yesterday  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  received  the 
Diplomatic  Corps.  There  is  always  a  reception  of  Ambassadors 
and  Ministers  in  the  ante-camera  while  they  await  their  turn. 
Great  interest  and  curiosity  was  expressed  in  the  report  that 
you  had  shortened  your  trip,  and  also  in  the  coincidence  of  the 
German  and  English  Ambassadors  at  Washington  taking  leave 
at  the  same  time. 

Everything  in  St.  Petersburg  has  been  very  quiet  the  past 
week,  and  Count  Lamsdorff  expressed  ignorance  as  to  whether 
the  Rodjestvensky  Fleet  and  the  Third  Baltic  Fleet  have  united, 
or  even  as  to  their  exact  whereabouts.  It  is  thought  here  that 
the  Admiral  has  a  free  hand. 

The  Ukase  of  the  Emperor,  granting  practically  religious 
freedom  to  all  sects,  except  the  Jews,  makes  a  great  concession 
to  the  party  of  reform,  and  if  carried  out  in  all  its  complete 
ness,  the  greatest  concession  to  individual  liberty  since  the 
liberation  of  the  serfs. 


150  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

The  conditions  in  the  Caucasus  and  in  Poland,  especially 
Warsaw,  are  very  unsatisfactory. 

I  went  out  for  a  day's  shooting  of  capercailzie  with  some 
Russians.  It  was  only  an  hour  and  a  half  outside  of  St.  Peters 
burg  and  yet  the  road  from  the  station  to  the  Club,  which,  by 
the  way,  was  a  county  road,  was  almost  impossible.  In  America 
we  would  not  think  of  attempting  such  a  road  with  anything 
except  a  team  of  oxen.  We,  however,  drove  in  a  wagon  with 
out  springs  drawn  by  a  pair  of  horses,  and  nearly  upset,  as  it 
was,  several  times.  The  Russians  acknowledge  that  this  was  a 
fair  sample  of  their  country  roads.  A  characteristic  feature, 
which  exemplifies  the  extravagance  and  absolute  lack  of  admin 
istration  in  Russia,  was  observable  in  the  fact  that  piles  of 
crushed  stone  were  on  each  side  of  the  road.  I  asked  why  they 
had  not  been  used  to  build  the  road  with  and  make  it  passable. 
"  Oh,"  was  the  reply,  "  those  stones  have  been  there  for  over 
five  years  —  you  see  they  are  almost  concealed  by  grass  and 
weeds.  The  county  officers  have  done  nothing  about  it  and  the 
farmers  or  peasants  are  too  lazy  to  do  it  themselves." 

The  same  want  of  system  and  lack  of  preparation  has 
apparently  existed  in  the  War  Department.  A  wounded  officer 
who  has  lately  returned  from  the  war  in  Manchuria  related  that 
owing  to  procrastination  the  Department  had  neglected  to  make 
proper  surveys  and  furnish  the  army  with  the  necessary  maps 
in  order  to  familiarize  the  officers  with  the  best  roads  and  exact 
character  of  the  country  in  which  they  were  fighting,  thus  put 
ting  them  to  great  disadvantage  as  compared  to  the  Japanese. 

There  seems  to  be  a  feeling  here  among  some  of  the  diplo 
mats  (on  what  it  is  based  I  do  not  know),  that  after  the  naval 
encounter  the  question  of  peace  will  be  agitated  and  taken  up 
in  Washington. 

Schwab  and  Flint  have  both  been  here.  The  former  has 
now  left,  but  the  latter  still  stays.  They  were  in  the  same  hotel 


1905]          AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  151 

with  me.  I  know  as  a  fact  that  they  had  several  interviews  with 
the  Grand  Duke  Alexis,  nominal  head  of  the  navy.  Schwab  is 
supposed  to  have  made  two  separate  offers,  one  to  build  and 
supply  a  fleet  of  battle-ships  of  most  approved  model  and  up- 
to-date,  delivered  within  three  years,  the  other  to  set  up  ship 
yards  in  Russia.  The  propositions  are  supposed  to  have 
attracted  the  Russian  Government  and  met  with  a  favourable 
reception.  Nothing  was  absolutely  settled,  and  Flint  has  stayed 
on  in  the  hopes  of  consummating  a  deal.  The  Emperor's 
approval  has  not  yet  been  obtained,  and  it  is  probable  that 
nothing  will  be  concluded  until  after  the  naval  encounter,  if 
then. 

In  my  dispatch  to  the  State  Department,  No.  16,  dated 
15/28th  April,  I  have  reported  fully  the  result  of  my  pour- 
parlers  with  the  Ministry  of  Finance  in  relation  to  the  discrim 
inating  duties  against  American  commerce. 

I  remain, 

Respectfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 

Before  the  end  of  May  Mr.  Meyer's  wife  and 
daughters  joined  him  in  St.  Petersburg.  Passing 
events  are  noted  in  the  diary. 

<f  May  31.  —  Lamsdorff  sends  word  that  he  will  be 
unable  to  receive  the  Diplomatic  Corps.  Probably  on 
account  of  the  defeat  of  the  Russian  fleet,  he  wishes 
to  avoid  the  ordeal  of  seeing  us  all. 

"All  the  papers  cry  out  in  consternation  in 
St.  P.  this  morning  at  the  catastrophe  which  has 
overtaken  the  Russian  fleet.  All  the  indignation  and 
wrath  is  poured  out  freely  upon  the  bureaucracy 
alone,  which  is  held  responsible  for  all  the  misfor 
tunes  of  the  war,  and  there  is  a  general  demand  for 


152  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

the  immediate  assembly  of  the  representatives  of 
Russia. 

"  Ju/n,e  1.  —  The  Russian  fleet,  it  seems,  was  com 
pletely  shattered,  and  it  has  been  an  extraordinary 
victory  for  the  Japanese.  They  attacked  the  Russian 
Squadron,  southeast  of  Tsu  Shima,  sinking  all  but  two 
battleships,  the  Orel  and  Nicolai,  which  they  have 
captured,  together  with  two  cruisers.  One  cruiser, 
Almaz,  one  destroyer,  and  one  hospital  ship  reach 
Vladivostok.  The  three  Russian  admirals  are  pris 
oners  of  war  in  Japan,  and  about  3,000  of  the  crews 
and  officers.  The  damage  to  the  Japanese  fleet  very 
slight,  one  cruiser,  and  ten  torpedo  boats.  This  finishes 
Russia  as  a  naval  power  at  sea. 

ff  June  2.  —  Alice  and  the  girls  have  their  audience 
with  the  Grand  Duke  and  Duchess  Vladimir.  The 
audience  was  at  2.30  with  the  Grand  Duchess  only, 
but  the  Grand  Duke,  who  had  met  Alice  and  the  girls 
at  Homburg,  two  years  ago,  came  in  and  joined  them. 
He  asked  the  girls  what  they  thought  should  be  done 
now  and  Julia  said,  '  Peace ! '  He  said,  '  Why,  and 
how  would  you  bring  it  about? '  quite  abruptly.  They 
had  been  to  a  birthday  lunch  at  Grand  Duke  Alexis', 
and  I  think  he  was  a  little  excited.  Contrary  to  cus 
tom,  he  escorted  Alice  out  of  the  room,  to  the  surprise 
of  his  attendants,  to  the  head  of  the  stairs.  He  has 
given  up  going  to  the  wedding  of  the  Crown  Prince  at 
Berlin.  The  Grand  Duke  Michel  is  going  instead. 

"  June  3.  —  Count  and  Countess  Trauttmansdorf  * 

i  Count  Charles  Trauttmansdorf  was  Secretary  of  the  Austrian  Em« 
bassy. 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  153 

and  Eddy  lunched  with  us.  They  were  lately  married. 
She  is  quite  pretty,  but  very  shy  like  all  Austrian 
women  when  first  married;  but  they  get  over 
that. 

"  It  appears  that  Admiral  Togo  waited  for  three 
months  in  the  Tsu  Shima  Straits  without  its  being  an 
nounced.  Imagine  the  press  in  our  country  being  will 
ing  to  keep  such  a  thing  secret  for  even  three  days. 
The  secrecy  was  remarkable  and  assisted  materially 
in  helping  to  make  the  surprise  and  destruction  of  the 
Russians  so  complete.  Imperfect  battle  formation, 
wasting  ammunition,  and  marked  inferiority  of  the 
Russian  gunnery  caused  defeat. 

"June  5.  —  Baron  Rosen,  the  new  Russian  Am 
bassador  to  Washington,  and  his  wife  lunched  with  us 
en  petit  comite,  the  Danish  Minister,  Mr.  de  Lovenorn, 
Eddy,  and  Bliss.  The  Rosens  are  leaving  on  Wednes 
day,  sailing  June  28  on  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  II.  He 
will  be  much  liked,  I  think,  and  is  a  great  improve 
ment  over  Cassini,  who  has  never  understood  the 
American  people  or  been  in  sympathy  with  them. 

"  Every  one  is  in  the  dark  as  to  what  is  to  be  the 
future  policy  of  the  Emperor  here.  He  should  call  a 
meeting  of  the  Representatives  at  once,  but  as  usual 
there  is  procrastination,  no  fixed  policy,  and  matters 
drifting." 

The  policy  for  which  Russia  was  to  pay  so  bitter  a 
penalty  at  the  end  of  another  decade  is  indicated  in 
the  following  letter  to  the  President:  — 


154  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

To  President  Roosevelt 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  23/5  June,  1905. 
MY  DEAE  ME.  PEESIDENT,  — 

I  cabled  the  Department  June  2,  in  order  to  inform  you  as 
to  the  conditions  and  state  of  mind  in  St.  Petersburg.  The 
press  here  were  not  allowed  to  announce  the  defeat  with  any 
particulars  until  three  days  after  it  was  known  to  the  outside 
world. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  obtain  any  authentic  news  as 
regards  the  conference  held  last  week  at  Tsarskoe  Selo.  It  is 
known  that  Witte,  Lamsdorff,  and  Kokovtzoff  (Minister  of 
Finance)  were  not  present.  It  is  pretty  well  assured  that  the 
Tsar  is  for  continuing  the  war  and  the  grand  Duke  Vladimir 
for  peace.  However,  sentiment  is  quite  united  against  paying 
a  large  money  indemnity  to  Japan,  and  if  the  Mikado  insists 
upon  anything  excessive,  it  may  end  in  driving  almost  a  united 
Russia  into  supporting  the  Tsar  in  continuing  the  war.  Peace 
at  any  price  is  not  desired,  even  by  those  who  are  disgusted  at 
the  way  that  the  bureaucracy  have  conducted  affairs  since  the 
war  broke  out.  When  it  is  a  matter  of  roubles,  there  is  no 
question  as  to  their  patriotism. 

I  have  spoken,  in  a  previous  letter,  of  the  corruption  that 
goes  on  in  some  of  the  departments.  I  quote  the  following  from 
the  Nasha  Jizn : 

"  It  is  affirmed  that  in  ordering  ships  a  big  commission 
(40  millions  from  a  credit  of  400,000,000)  goes  to  the  officials 
of  the  Navy  Department ;  and  if  the  question  were  put  to  the 
manufacturers  and  furnishers,  '  How  much  do  you  pay  to  the 
various  persons  who  have  to  do  the  transmitting  of  orders  and 
payments  on  orders?*  that  would  give  some  idea  as  to  how 
many  extra  ships  could  be  built." 

The  paper  then  goes  on  to  imply  that  the  best  means  of 
increasing  the  resources  of  the  government  and  strengthening 


19051  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  155 

its  credit  and  ability  to  pay,  would  be  to  secure  expert,  honest 
men,  institute  thorough  supervision,  publicity,  and  prosecution 
of  guilty  persons,  without  regard  to  their  position. 

In  connection  with  the  corruption  above  referred  to,  I 
notice  that  the  Kassuga  and  Nisshin,  with  their  long-range 
artillery,  were  the  first  to-  inflict  damage  to  the  enemy's  fleet. 
These  two  armoured  cruisers  sank  three  Russian  vessels  and 
received  no  injury  in  return.  The  Kassuga  and  the  Nisshin 
were  built  at  Genoa  for  the  Argentine  Government,  and  are  the 
vessels  that  Barrere  had  the  refusal  of  for  the  Russian  Govern 
ment.  There  being  no  commission  in  it  for  certain  Russian 
individuals,  the  sale  fell  through.1  If  a  true  history  could  be 
written  of  the  misfortunes  that  have  befallen  Russia  due  to  cor 
ruption  and  graft,  the  world  would  be  astounded. 

A  discouraging  report  has  got  about  that  Monsieur  Pobe- 
donostzeff  at  the  last  moment  was  able  to  persuade  the  Emperor 
not  to  sign  the  manifesto  announcing  that  an  assembly  of  the 
representatives  of  the  people  freely  elected  would  immediately 
be  convoked.  It  is  still  hoped  that  other  influence  will  be 
brought  to  bear.  Notwithstanding  the  naval  defeat  and  great 
loss  of  life,  I  hear  the  theatres  have  been  crowded  throughout 
the  week,  as  though  nothing  had  happened. 

I  am  enclosing  an  article  headed  "  What  Now,"  which 
appeared  in  a  Russian  paper.  It  may  interest  you,  as  it  refers 
to  you,  the  Emperor  William,  and  Admiral  Evans. 

Since  writing  to  Mr.  Hay  in  Paris,  I  have  again  addressed 
a  letter  to  him  in  London,  which  should  reach  him  to-day,  and 
in  which  I  have  gone  into  the  question  of  discriminating  duties 
imposed  by  Mr.  Witte  in  1901.  Notwithstanding  this  disad 
vantage,  our  exports  to  Russia  were  32  millions.  They  could 
be  doubled  in  value  in  a  year  if  we  could  come  to  an  under 
standing  with  Russia.  They  are  very  anxious  and  ready  to 

i  See  ante,  p.  118. 


156  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

come  to  some  arrangement,  and  claim  that  if  we  will  make 
some  small  concessions  they  will  make  big  ones.  In  other  words, 
they  want  to  save  their  face.  They  are  as  stubborn  as  children 
and  quite  equal  to  doing  nothing  if  we  refuse  to  make  any  con 
cessions  whatever.  The  duties  on  machinery  and  tools  have 
been  advanced  in  the  new  treaty  with  Germany,  which  goes  into 
effect  the  first  of  March,  1906 ;  and  unless  we  are  able  to  come  to 
some  understanding,  the  discriminating  duties  will  then  be 
assessed  on  the  new  rates,  which  will  probably  kill  American 
trade  and  Germany  will  be  the  country  most  benefitted.  My 
dispatch  to  the  Department  of  April  28  went  into  this  question 
fully  and  I  asked  for  instructions.  It  is  nearly  six  weeks  since 
I  wrote,  but  I  have  not  as  yet  received  any  reply.  The  Minister 
of  Finance  called  at  my  residence  about  a  week  ago,  and  said 
that  he  realized  the  importance  of  our  coming  to  some  agree 
ment  in  order  to  remove  the  restrictions  on  American  trade,  and 
he  wished  to  assure  me  personally  of  his  friendly  feeling  and 
willingness  to  do  everything  possible  to  bring  about  the  desired 
results. 

Every  one  is  really  in  the  dark  as  to  the  Emperor's  future 
policy.  Procrastination,  lack  of  decision,  no  plan  of  action 
appear  to  be  the  order  of  the  day. 

Believe  me, 

j  Respectfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 

On  the  very  day  after  the  writing  of  this  letter 
the  Tsar  was  called  upon,  through  the  American  Am 
bassador,  to  render  an  immediate  decision  upon  a 
matter  of  supreme  moment.  Meyer's  diary  of  June 
6  and  7,  1905,  tells  in  brief  of  the  cabled  instructions 
from  President  Roosevelt  to  seek  an  interview  with 
the  Emperor  Nicholas  II,  and  of  the  circumstances 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  157 

attending  the  securing  and  the  happy  issue  of  the  audi 
ence.  A  letter  to  the  President,  written  a  few  days 
later,  deals  more  thoroughly  with  this  achievement  of 
a  diplomatic  task  of  extreme  delicacy :  — 

To  President  Roosevelt 

ST.  PETERSBURG,,  June  9,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  ME.  PRESIDENT,  — 

Tuesday  morning,  on  receipt  of  the  cable  of  June  5,  I 
hastened  to  the  Foreign  Office  and  was  fortunate  enough  to 
catch  Count  Lamsdorff  as  he  was  leaving  in  fifteen  minutes  to 
take  the  train  for  Tsarskoe  Selo.  When  I  asked  for  an  audience 
with  His  Majesty,  he  said  it  would  be  difficult  to  arrange  for 
several  days.  I  offered,  if  it  were  feasible,  to  go  down  that 
afternoon  or  evening  —  that  at  any  moment  I  was  at  his  com 
mand.  He  seemed  surprised  and  almost  offended  at  my  urgency 
and  replied,  "  You  must  realize  that  every  hour  of  the  Emper 
or's  time  is  taken  up  with  engagements  for  several  days,  and  to 
morrow  will  be  Her  Majesty's  birthday;  there  will  also  be  a 
family  breakfast  in  the  Palace,  and  His  Majesty  has  never 
granted  an  audience  on  that  day."  As  time  had  flown  and  he 
was  obliged  to  leave  for  the  station,  I  said :  "  Your  Excellency, 
will  you  deliver  a  message  to  His  Majesty  from  the  President?  " 
He  looked  rather  surprised  and  answered,  "  Yes."  Then  I  said, 
"  It  is  this ;  that  the  President  requests  personally  that  I  have 
an  audience  in  order  that  I  may  lay  before  His  Majesty  a 
proposition  which  I  have  received  this  morning  by  cable."  His 
only  answer  was  that  I  should  have  a  reply  before  five  o'clock 
that  afternoon.  At  a  quarter  to  five  I  received  a  message,  that 
the  Tsar  had  appointed  2  o'clock  the  next  day  (Wednesday, 
the  birthday  of  the  Empress!)  for  my  audience  at  Tsarskoe 
Selo. 

I  called  at  the  Foreign  Office  that  evening  and  thanked 


158  GEORGE  TON  L.  MEYER  llsos 

Count  Lamsdorff  personally  for  his  promptitude  in  the  matter. 
He  assured  me  that  a  great  exception  had  been  made  by  the 
Emperor,  and  I  assured  him  in  turn  that  I  appreciated  it  and 
that  I  realized  it  was  out  of  compliment  to  the  President. 

I  left  St.  Petersburg  at  one  o'clock  Wednesday  with  Baron 
Ramsay,  Master  of  Ceremonies,  as  my  escort;  a  private  car 
had  been  attached  to  the  train.  On  the  way  down,  Ramsay 
said,  "  I  understand  you  are  going  on  an  important  mission ;  I 
hope  you  will  be  successful,  but  the  Emperor  is  so  weak  and 
stubborn  that  I  fear  you  have  a  difficult  task."  I  said 
nothing.  .  .  . 

I  arrived  at  Tsarskoe  Selo  shortly  before  two  o'clock, 
entered  the  Palace  by  a  private  entrance,  and  was  taken,  with 
out  any  formality,  to  the  waiting-room  adjoining  the  Emperor's 
study.  Promptly  at  two  o'clock  the  door  of  the  study  was 
opened  and  the  Tsar  came  forward  to  meet  me  and  received  me 
very  cordially.  I  thanked  His  Majesty  in  your  behalf  for 
receiving  me  on  such  a  day,  saying  I  realized  it  was  the  birthday 
of  the  Empress.  He  invited  me  at  once  to  be  seated  near  him 
at  his  desk. 

I  stated  first  that  you  felt  it  was  of  the  utmost  importance 
that  war  should  cease,  and  that  this  was  also  the  opinion  of  all 
outsiders,  including  Russia's  most  ardent  friends.  The  plan  that 
you  wished  to  propose  for  his  consideration  was  that  you  should 
privately,  on  your  own  initiative  and  with  absolute  secrecy,  ask 
both  Powers  whether  they  would  not  consent  to  meet,  without 
intermediaries,  in  order  to  discuss  the  whole  peace  question.  If 
Russia  would  consent,  the  President  would  try  to  get  Japan's 
consent,  not  saying  that  Russia  had  consented.  Russia's 
answer  would  be  kept  strictly  secret  as  well  as  all  that  had  so 
far  transpired,  nothing  being  made  public  until  Japan  also 
agrees. 

His  Majesty  said  it  was  difficult  for  him  to  give  a  reply 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  159 

at  this  time,  because  he  felt  he  must  ascertain  what  his  people 
really  wanted;  he  was  in  receipt  of  hundreds  of  letters  daily, 
urging  him  to  continue  the  war  and  offering  money  towards  it. 
His  Majesty  added  that  he  referred  to  the  plain  people  as  well 
as  the  nobility.  He  wished  to  be  sure  of  what  the  nation  really 
desired. 

When  he  finished,  I  said:  "  Will  Your  Majesty  allow  me  to 
read  my  instruction?"  (which  I  had  previously  paraphrased). 
Then  I  proceeded,  laying  stress  on  certain  points.  As  I  got  no 
reply,  I  went  on  and  endeavoured  to  appeal  to  him.  I  told  him 
I  had  waited  several  days  after  the  naval  battle  before  I  made 
any  decision ;  I  had  then  reported  to  my  Government  that,  while 
the  shock  was  severe  and  the  disappointment  very  great,  there 
was  no  cry  for  peace  at  any  price,  and  that  I  believed  that,  if 
Japan  demanded  absolutely  unreasonable  terms  or  excessive 
indemnity,  His  Majesty  would  have  almost  a  united  Russia 
behind  him.  At  which  the  Emperor  rose  from  his  chair,  started 
to  put  out  his  hand,  and  said :  "  That  is  my  belief,  and  I  think 
you  are  absolutely  right."  I  continued,  saying  that  I  had 
known  you  for  thirty  years,  had  watched  your  career,  that  you 
had  won  the  absolute  confidence  and  respect  of  the  people  of 
the  United  States,  and  that  what  you  were  doing  now  was  from 
the  highest  motives,  without  any  ulterior  motive  whatsoever. 
He  assured  me  that  he  believed  it  and  had  every  confidence  in 
you.  I  told  him  that  I  realized  how  much  harder  it  was  in 
adversity  to  make  a  decision  contrary  to  one's  pride  and  ambi 
tion,  yet  he  would  have  the  consolation,  if  he  consented  to  your 
plan,  of  saving  possibly  hundreds  of  thousands  of  lives  and 
doing  in  reality  what  was  best  for  his  people  and  his  vast 
Empire,  and  at  the  same  time  winning  the  respect  of  the 
world. 

I  called  his  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  war  was  not  a 
popular  one,  yet  his  soldiers  had  shown  themselves  brave  beyond 


160  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  I1905 

question  —  that  I  did  not  believe  there  was  any  army  at  the 
moment  that  could  stand  up  against  the  Japanese  army.  Why  ? 
Because  they  have  no  fear  of  death,  but  court  it.  Every  Chris 
tian  soldier,  no  matter  how  brave  he  may  be  in  his  heart,  hopes, 
when  the  battle  is  over,  to  return  to  his  home  and  family.  The 
Japanese  soldier's  family  glories  in  his  death  and  considers  it 
an  honour. 

At  the  present  moment  the  internal  affairs  of  the  country 
required  his  entire  attention.  While  it  was  my  belief  (and  I 
had  so  reported)  that  there  would  be  no  revolution,  yet  there 
were  many  reforms  which  would  come  about  by  evolution,  and 
which,  I  had  seen  by  the  Ukases,  His  Majesty  had  promised. 
His  Empire  had  unbounded  resources,  and  possibly  unlimited 
mineral  wealth  which  remained  undeveloped  and  would,  if  war 
continued,  remain  so.  No  one  knew  better  than  himself  how 
timid  capital  was,  and  how  all  progress  and  enterprise  would 
be  thwarted  under  present  conditions.  Finally,  I  said  Russia's 
credit  has  been  maintained  in  an  extraordinary  manner,  as 
shown  by  the  quotations  of  Russian  bonds,  as  compared  to 
United  States  securities  during  our  war,  or  to  Italy's  in  her 
war  with  Austria.  It  was  an  open  question  if  Russia's  Consols 
would  not  be  seriously  affected,  as  the  financiers  of  the  world 
were  adverse  to  further  loans  if  war  continued ;  and  finally,  all 
Russia's  friends  honestly  and  seriously  believed  the  war  should 
end.  What  would  have  been  the  fate  of  the  House  of  Savoy  if, 
after  the  battle  of  Novara,  when  Carlo  Alberto  abdicated  in 
favour  of  his  son,  Victor  Emmanuel  II,  had  not  had  the  courage 
to  make  peace  instead  of  endeavouring  to  continue  the  war? 
The  King  of  Italy  and  the  Emperor  of  Germany  had  both  ex- 
v  pressed  themselves  to  me  in  favour  of  peace. 

He  said,  "  I  know  that.  I  have  a  letter  on  my  table  now 
from  Emperor  William,  just  received,  in  which  he  tells  me  he  so 
expressed  himself  to  you."  At  last  His  Majesty  said,  "If  it 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  161 

will  be  absolutely  secret  as  to  my  decision,  should  Japan  decline, 
or  until  she  gives  her  consent,  I  will  now  consent  to  your  Presi 
dent's  plan  that  we  (Russia  and  Japan),  have  a  meeting  with 
out  intermediaries,  in  order  to  see  if  we  can  make  peace.  Do  you 
suppose,"  he  added,  "  that  President  Roosevelt  knows,  or  could 
find  out  in  the  meantime  and  let  us  know,  what  Japan's 
terms  are  ?  " 

I  immediately  replied  that  I  had  no  means  of  knowing, 
nor  did  I  think  that  the  President  would  be  willing  to  undertake 
to  find  them  out,  as  that  could  be  ascertained  at  the  first  meeting 
of  the  plenipotentiaries  (without  intermediaries  !)  of  Russia  and 
Japan. 

Having  accepted,  he  said  he  wanted  to  be  informed  about 
Japan  before  the  President  gave  out  the  public  invitation,  after 
having  gained  the  assent  of  both  countries.  He  then  went  on 
to  say  to  me  that  "  You  have  come  at  a  psychological  moment : 
as  yet  no  foot  has  been  placed  on  Russian  soil;  but  I  realize 
that  at  almost  any  moment  they  can  make  an  attack  on 
Sakhaline.  Therefore  it  is  important  that  the  meeting  should 
take  place  before  that  occurs." 

This  gave  me  the  opportunity  to  say  to  him  that,  as  days, 
or  even  hours,  might  be  an  important  factor,  if  he  was  willing 
to  trust  President  Roosevelt,  it  would  be  better  not  to  put  any 
conditions  as  to  your  giving  out  the  public  invitation  after  you 
had  secretly  obtained  the  consent  of  the  two  nations.  His 
Majesty  agreed  to  this,  laying  stress  on  the  importance  of 
secrecy,  and  on  the  fact  that  the  whole  movement  for  peace  was 
on  your  initiative ;  he  was  evidently  anxious  that  the  world  \  / 
should  not  in  any  way,  even  for  a  moment,  think  that  the  idea 
had  emanated  from  Russia. 

His  Majesty  was  also  relieved  and  pleased  that  your  prop 
osition  distinctly  said  that  the  Plenipotentiaries  of  both  Russia 
and  Japan  should  meet  without  intermediaries. 


162  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

My  audience  had  already  lasted  an  hour,  and  having 
gained  his  consent  without  any  conditions  other  than  those  in 
your  instructions,  contrary  to  all  customs  I  asked  leave,  before 
His  Majesty  made  the  move,  to  depart  in  order  to  cable  at  once 
to  Washington,  fearing  that  on  further  consideration  the  Tsar 
might  make  some  changes  in  the  plan.  The  Emperor  then 
shook  hands  warmly  and  said  with  some  feeling :  "  Say  to  your 
President  I  certainly  hope  that  the  old  friendship  which  has 
previously  existed  and  united  the  two  nations  for  so  long  a 
period  will  be  renewed.  I  realize  that  whatever  difference  has 
arisen  is  due  to  the  press,  and  in  no  way  to  your  Government." 
While  the  Emperor  is  not  a  man  of  force,  I  was  impressed  with 
his  self-possession. 

Yours  respectfully, 

'  GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 

The  press  of  the  world  was  soon  ringing  with  the 
accomplishment  of  the  American  plan  to  bring  Russia 
and  Japan  to  an  understanding  upon  which  peace 
might  be  restored.  Washington,  Tokyo,  and  St. 
Petersburg  became  the  spots  on  the  surface  of  the 
globe  on  which  the  eyes  of  mankind  were  most 
solicitously  fixed  —  St.  Petersburg,  perhaps,  first  of 
all,  for  the  reason  that  Russia,  virtually  defeated,  was 
under  the  rule  of  a  weak,  obstinate,  and  ill-advised 
autocrat  who  might  at  any  moment  frustrate  the  good 
work  of  others.  There  was  no  telling  what  a  day 
might  bring  forth.  In  Meyer's  diary  and  letters  the 
progress  of  events  was  completely  recorded  by  one  in 
a  position  of  rare  advantage  to  observe  them.  As  a 
contribution  to  the  annals  of  a  critical  epoch  in  inter 
national  affairs  these  records  for  about  three  months 


1905}          AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  163 

after  the  interview  with  the  Tsar  which  has  just  been 
described  may  be  presented  in  some  fulness. 

""  June  8.  —  Considerable  interest  and  excitement 
over  my  visit  to  Tsarskoe  Selo  to  see  the  Emperor,  as 
it  is  known  that  President  Roosevelt  has  taken  the 
initiative  in  order  to  bring  about  peace  if  possible. 

"  Called  on  the  German  Ambassador  and  told  him 
that  I  was  not  at  liberty  to  repeat  the  conversation 
which  I  had  had  with  the  Emperor  (Nicholas  II),  yet 
he  might  wire  Emperor  William  and  say  that  he  would 
receive  word  from  Washington  and  that  I  was  very 
hopeful. 

"  I  refused  to-day  to  see  any  members  of  the  press, 
saying  that  matters  were  in  too  delicate  a  state  to  say 
anything. 

"  Played  polo  this  afternoon  and  enjoyed  getting 
some  out-door  exercise  and  air. 

"June.  9.  —  Received  two  cables  from  the  State 
Department  —  one  stated  that  Japan  had  consented 
to  pourparlers  with  Russia  without  intermediaries, 
and  that  I  was  to  notify  the  Foreign  Office  to  that 
effect  at  once  and  cable  .as  soon  as  I  had  done  so,  in 
order  that  the  President  may  be  in  the  position  now  to 
make  public  invitation  to  both  Russia  and  Japan.  This 
was  attended  to  at  11  A.M.  The  other  cable  was  to 
thank  the  Tsar  for  his  expression  of  good  will  and 
wishes  that  the  old  friendship  between  the  United 
States  and  Russia  should  be  restored,  etc.  Lamsdorff 
suggested  that  I  write  an  autograph  letter  to  the  Tsar, 
conveying  the  expressions  of  the  President,  which  he 
would  hand  to  H.M.  at  4  P.M.  It  was  so  arranged, 


164  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

as  Lamsdorff  said  it  would  only  excite  surprise  and 
envy  of  the  other  members  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps. 

"  Jtwe  10.  —  It  was  announced  in  the  press  to 
day  that  the  President  had  publicly  invited  repre 
sentatives  of  Russia  and  Japan  to  meet,  in  order  to 
see  if  they  could  agree  on  peace.  This  was  done  in  this 
way  according  to  agreement,  although  Russia  and 
Japan  had  already  both  agreed  privately  that  they 
would  do  so.  This  is  a  great  victory  for  the  Presi 
dent,  who  has  brought  this  about  by  his  own  initiative. 
The  press  and  the  diplomats  had  been  very  skeptical 
about  it  all.  It  now  rests  with  Japan  and  Russia  if 
they  can  come  to  an  agreement,  as  they  are  to  meet 
without  intermediaries. 

"June  11.  —  Received  cable  this  morning  from 
Department  in  Washington,  saying  Cassini  had  asked 
to  see  my  dispatch,  as  he  thought  I  had  misinterpreted 
the  Tsar!  The  State  Department  refused  to  let  him 
see  it,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  the  office  of  his  Gov 
ernment  to  inform  him  or  not  as  they  saw  fit.  This 
was  jealousy  on  his  part  because  he  had  not  been  used 
to  transmit  the  knowledge  and  information.  They 
notified  [me]  merely  because  he  might  try  to  embarrass 
situation.  German  Emperor  sent  me  a  message 
through  his  Ambassador  that  he  was  very  pleased  with 
what  had  been  accomplished  by  me  and  that  he  was 
hopeful  of  the  outcome.  Alvensleben  also  said  that 
Lamsdorff  had  [said]  that  the  meeting  of  Russia  and 
Japan  was  assured.  Cabled  this  to  my  Government, 
and  also  that  there  was  no  sign  of  any  hitch  in  nego 
tiations. 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  165 

"  June  12.  —  Associated  Press  and  Renter's  Agency 
started  a  story  to-day  that,  while  Japan  had  agreed  to 
meet  and  name  plenipotentiaries,  Russia  would  only 
name  representatives  who  would  not  have  full  powers 
but  merely  to  hear  what  Japan  had  to  say.  They  also 
implied  that  Russia  was  holding  back,  and  that  there 
were  likely  to  be  obstacles  as  to  a  meeting.  While 
this  was  going  on,  received  the  formal  acceptance  from 
the  Foreign  Office,  in  which  they  agreed  with  Japan 
to  name  plenipotentiaries.  That  naturally  killed  the 
rumours. 

"  The  British  Ambassador  and  Lady  Hardinge 
dined  with  us  —  also  Eddy,  Foster,  Csekonics,  and 
Franckenstein.1 

"  Cabled  the  Government  the  text  of  Russian 
answer. 

"  Hardinge  told  me  of  a  secret  dossier  he  had  seen 
(dated  the  same  day  that  the  Japs  attacked  Port 
Arthur),  which  showed  that  the  Russian  fleet  was  to 
attack  if  they,  the  Japs,  crossed  the  38th  degree. 

"  Jime  13.  —  The  German  Ambassador,  von  Al- 
vensleben,  called  on  me  this  morning,  to  know  if  it 
was  true  that  the  Russians  were  unwilling  to  name 
or  call  their  delegates  plenipotentiaries.  Assured  him 
there  was  no  truth  in  it,  that  I  had  the  Russian  answer 
and  they  had  agreed  to  name  plenipotentiaries.  Asked 
him  to  notify  the  Emperor  of  this  confidentially. 

"  The  French  Ambassador  called  after  lunch ;  said 
it  was  his  first  call  since  his  return  from  Paris,  and 
that  he  came  to  get  posted  and  to  say  his  Govern- 

i  Attach^  of  the  Austrian  Embassy. 


166  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

ment  was  in  accord  and  ready  to  assist  towards  peace 
in  any  way  that  they  could. 

'June  16.  —  Received  cable  this  A.M.  from  State 
Department,  instructing  me  to  see  Lamsdorff  and 
notify  him  that  cable  was  received  too  late  about  The 
Hague,1  as  Washington  had  been  agreed  upon,  Cas- 
sini  having  stated  that  it  was  agreeable  to  his  govern 
ment;  Japan  also  having  assented,  it  had  been  pub 
licly  announced  that  Washington  was  chosen;  that  the 
President  could  not  now  reverse  his  decision,  as  Japan 
would  probably  not  consent.  Lamsdorff  said  that  he 
much  preferred  The  Hague  to  Washington  for  many 
reasons  —  too  far,  too  hot,  and  they  were  changing 
Ambassadors.  I  claimed  their  action  extraordinary  in 
trying  to  make  the  President  reverse  his  decision  after 
their  representative  had  consented  to  it;  also  danger 
ous.  Lamsdorff  to  consult  the  Tsar  and  cable  Cassini. 

<c  Ju/ne  17.  —  Received  a  cable  signed  by  the  Presi 
dent  instructing  me  to  see  Minister  of  Foreign  Af 
fairs  and  explain  that  Washington  had  been  decided 
upon  with  consent  of  the  Russian  and  Japanese  repre 
sentatives  in  Washington,  and  that  the  President  had 
announced  it  to  the  public.  As  far  as  he  was  con 
cerned,  the  incident  was  closed  and  he  could  not  re 
verse  his  action.  If  the  Foreign  Office  did  not 
acquiesce,  I  was  to  take  the  matter  before  the  Em 
peror  himself.  I  had  quite  a  heated  argument  with 
Lamsdorff,  and  made  him  acknowledge  that  Cassini 
had  been  instructed,  with  the  consent  of  the  Tsar,  to 

i  The  Russian  Government  had  tried  to  transfer  the  Peace  Conference 
finally  held  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  to  The  Hague,  from  Washington,  which 
had  first  been  agreed  upon. 


1905}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  167 

accept  Washington.  Now  he,  Lamsdorff,  wanted  to 
reconsider.  I  told  him  it  was  too  late.  If  he  was 
unwilling  to  stand  by  Cassini's  instructions,  I  should 
have  to  take  it  before  the  Tsar.  This  did  not  please 
him;  however,  he  agreed  to  send  my  memo  of  instruc 
tions  to  the  Emperor  that  afternoon  and  let  me  know 
his  decision. 

"June  18.  —  At  12.30  A.M.  sent  a  cable  to  the 
President,  having  received  a  note  from  Lamsdorff 
saying  that  the  Emperor  made  no  objection  to  Wash 
ington  as  the  place  of  meeting  of  the  plenipotentiaries 
of  Russia  and  Japan.  The  note  read  as  follows: 
'  Monsieur  1'Ambassadeur,  Je  m'empresse  d'informer 
Votre  Excellence  que  Sa  Majeste  TEmpereur  ne  voit 
aucune  obstacle  au  choix  de  Washington  pour  la  re 
union  et  les  pourparlers  des  Plenipotentiares  Russes 
et  Japonais.  Je  viens  de  telegraphier  dans  ce  sens  au 
Count  Cassini.  —  Mille  hommages  tres  sineeres. — 
(Signed)  LAMSDORFF.' 

4  Why  could  he  not  say  simply  he  agrees  to  Wash 
ington?  The  Foreign  Office  cannot  write  a  straight 
forward  direct  letter  —  it  is  contrary  to  the  habit  of 
the  Bureaucracy." 

To  President  Roosevelt 

'  ST.  PETERSBURG,  Sunday,  June  18,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

At  midnight  last  night  I  received  a  letter  from  Count 
Lamsdorff  informing  me  of  the  Emperor's  decision.  I  ordered 
out  my  automobile,  going  to  the  cable  office  myself  and  getting 
off  the  dispatch  at  12.30  A.M.,  repeating  in  French  the  con- 


168  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

tents  of  the  note.  Lamsdorff  also  added :  "  I  have  just  tele 
graphed  in  the  same  sense  to  Count  Cassini." 

In  wording  a  note  Lamsdorff  is  never  able  to  be  emphatic 
and  straightforward.  The  statement  that  he  gave  out  for  the 
press  in  answer  to  your  invitation,  and  which  was  printed  in 
the  Official  Messenger,  caused  some  criticism,  the  diplomats  not 
knowing  that  the  Tsar  had  previously  assured  me  at  Tsarskoe 
Selo  that  Russia  would  accept,  and  [that]  if  Japan  accepted 
also,  you  were  to  go  through  the  form  of  a  public  invitation, 
and  in  the  event  of  their  refusal,  everything  that  transpired 
was  to  be  kept  secret.  The  attitude  of  the  Foreign  Office  in 
its  communication  is  absolutely  different  from  the  tone  of  the 
Tsar,  and  is  undoubtedly  for  effect  on  the  public  and  a  foolish 
endeavour  to  save  their  face. 

Yesterday  and  the  day  before  I  had  two  heated  discus 
sions  with  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs.  However,  as  we 
carry  them  on  in  French,  it  makes  them  seem  always  more 
polite.  The  fact  that  you  cabled  me  the  Lamsdorff  instruc 
tions  to  Cassini  was  a  great  assistance,  because  I  could  not  get 
it  out  of  him  the  day  before,  when  he  implied  that  Cassini  had 
made  a  mistake  and  gone  beyond  his  instructions.  I  said  it 
was  time  that  he  recalled  Cassini  at  once,  if  the  President  could 
not  rely  on  what  he  said.  I  could  not  make  Lamsdorff  realize 
that,  after  Washington  had  been  decided  upon,  it  was  out 
rageous  of  him  endeavouring  to  force  you  to  reverse  your  action, 
your  decision  having  been  made  on  the  instructions  to  Cassini 
and  which  I  compelled  him  to  acknowledge  had  been  approved 
by  the  Tsar.  Even  then  he  said :  "  Why  should  we  not  recon 
sider,  as  The  Hague  is  better  for  many  reasons  ?  "  As  it  made 
no  impression  on  him  that  Japan  had  refused  and  you  had  an 
nounced  it  to  the  world,  I  was  obliged  to  tell  him  that  in 
America  when  we  gave  our  word  we  abided  by  it,  and  that  if 
he  did  not  decide  to  abide  by  Washington,  I  should  be  compelled 


1905}          AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  169 

to  carry  it  personally  before  the  Emperor.  This  did  not  meet 
with  his  view  at  all,  and  he  answered  that  it  was  not  customary 
for  the  Emperor  to  give  audiences  weekly  to  an  Ambassador. 

I  have  discovered  that  the  bureaucracy  was  not  at  all 
pleased  that  I  was  able  to  carry  through  so  quickly  with  the 
Emperor  the  question  of  accepting  your  invitation;  and  as  I 
have  been  up  against  them  the  last  two  days,  I  realize  now  how 
the  Emperor  is  hampered  and  how  much  is  kept  from  him. 

While  Lamsdorff  practically  intimated  that  he  would  not 
ask  for  an  audience  until  he  had  a  reply  from  Cassini  in  answer 
to  his  cable,  he  realized  that  unless,  in  the  end,  he  gave  a  de 
cision  in  favour  of  Washington,  I  should  demand  the  privilege 
in  your  name  of  taking  the  matter  before  the  Tsar.  So  it 
finally  was  agreed  that  he  would  send  a  copy  of  my  instructions 
to  the  Emperor  that  same  day,  and  he  would  immediately  write 
me  the  Emperor's  decision,  although  the  formal  reply  would  be 
forwarded  by  Cassini. 

We  parted  finally  on  excellent  terms,  he  adding:  "  I  am  not 
accustomed  to  be  hustled  so,  and  cannot  see  the  need  of  such 
terrible  haste ! " 

The  English  Ambassador  told  me  confidentially  last  night 
that,  in  his  talk  that  afternoon  at  the  Foreign  Office,  Lams 
dorff  had  said  to  him  that,  if  he  only  knew  whom  Japan  was 
going  to  appoint  as  plenipotentiary,  it  would  be  of  great  assist 
ance  to  him  in  deciding  whom  to  name  as  plenipotentiaries  to 
represent  Russia.  For  instance,  if  Ito  is  to  be  sent  by  Japan, 
he  would  appoint  as  Russia's  first  representative  Witte.  This 
would  be  an  excellent  appointment,  as  it  would  strengthen  the 
commission  before  the  world.  The  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs 
also  stated  that  his  idea  was  to  have  a  bouquet  of  three,  as  he 
called  it :  Witte,  Nelidow  as  a  diplomat,  and  a  general  to  repre 
sent  the  army,  who  would  be  broad-minded  and  fair  in  his  ideas. 

Nelidow  was  a  colleague  of  mine  at  Rome.     I  hope  he  will 


170  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

not  be  appointed,  as  he  is  too  old  and  nervous,  and  is  the 
present  Ambassador  at  Paris.  He  made  a  mess  in  Rome  of  the 
Tsar's  failure  to  return  the  visit  of  the  King  and  handled  it 
in  such  a  way  that  it  gave  umbrage  to  the  King  and  the  Italian 
people,  and  he  and  Ouroussow  exchanged  their  posts  only  be 
cause  the  King  of  Italy  sent  word  that  Nelidow  was  no  longer 
persona  grata. 

Rosen  would  really  be  a  much  better  man,  as  I  understand 
Japan  thinks  well  of  him  and  he  has  a  great  respect  for  them ; 
but  Lamsdorff  does  not  want  to  name  him  if  he  can  help  it,  the 
Foreign  Office  feeling  a  little  sore  with  him  as  he  is  in  a  position 
to  say :  "  I  told  you  so !  " 

;  June  20. 

Yesterday  the  Emperor  gave  an  audience  to  a  deputation 
of  fourteen  earnest  representative  men  from  all  parts  of  the 
country.  I  think  it  was  very  advantageous  both  to  the  Tsar 
and  to  the  deputation,  as  they  were  much  impressed  by  his 
reply.  I  cabled  details  to  the  Department  to-day. 

This  afternoon  at  three  o'clock  Lamsdorff  telephoned  for 
me  to  come  and  see  him  surely  before  five.  I  got  to  the  Foreign 
Office  at  four  o'clock.  The  result  of  my  interview  and  his  sug 
gestions  and  requests  I  cabled  at  once  in  full  to  the  Department. 
It  was  evident  from  his  whole  tone  that  the  Emperor  had  taken 
the  matter  finally  in  charge  himself,  and  that  he  was  acting 
under  direct  instructions.  I  am  thankful  that  they  have  waked 
up  to  the  necessity  of  prompt  action.  I  only  trust  that  they 
have  not  delayed  too  long. 

Believe  me, 

Respectfully  yours, 

1  GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 

For  the  remainder  of  June  the  diary  was  filled  with 
entries  about  the  choice  of  Russian  plenipotentiaries 


1 


MRS.    GEORGE    VOX    I,EXGERKE    MEYER 


19051  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  171 

and  the  many  cables  that  passed  between  Meyer  and 
the  State  Department  on  this  and  related  subjects. 
On  the  25th  he  wrote,  more  personally,  "  The  20th 
anniversary  of  my  wedding  day  —  a  happy  day  for 
me  —  I  have  had  more  than  my  share  of  blessings,  a 
good  wife,  and  a  charming  family."  On  the  26th 
appears  one  of  several  items  of  the  same  kind:  "  Played 
polo  in  the  afternoon  —  could  not  live  here  if  I  did  not 
get  this  exercise."  The  grave  state  of  Russia,  clearly 
foreshadowing  its  disasters  under  the  strain  of  a  gen 
eral  war,  is  constantly  observed. 

ff  June  29.  —  Mutiny  in  Odessa.  The  crew  takes 
possession  of  a  man-of-war,  kills  several  of  the  officers 
and  imprisons  the  rest.  The  harbour  of  Odessa  is  prac 
tically  destroyed  by  fire.  This  is  very  serious,  as  it 
may  spread  to  the  rest  of  the  fleet  which  has  been 
ordered  from  Sebastopol.  The  men-of-war  in  the 
harbour  of  Odessa  threaten  to  fire  on  the  town  if  they 
are  attacked.  It  is  difficult  to  get  authentic  news,  as 
there  is  a  strict  censorship. 

"  Go  out  to  call  after  dinner  on  the  Swedish 
Consul,  who  has  a  charming  place  opposite  to 
Belosselsky's. 

ff  June  30.  —  The  Marines  in  Libau  revolted,  burnt 
their  barracks,  —  six  companies  in  all,  —  and  then  went 
to  a  wood  outside  of  the  town,  where  they  have  been  sur 
rounded  by  troops.  Their  complaint  was  bad  food  - 
same  as  on  the  man-of-war.  It  looks  as  though  there 
was  concerted  action  between  the  men  of  the  Black 
Sea  and  those  of  the  Baltic. 

"  Get  a  communication  from  Lamsdorff  saying  that 


172  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  I*903 

the  Tsar  had  appointed  Mouravieff,  former  Minister 
of  Justice  and  now  Ambassador  at  Rome,  in  place  of 
Nelidow,  as  First  Plenipotentiary,  Rosen  as  Second 
Plenipotentiary,  and  that  they  reserved  the  right  to 
appoint  delegates  who  might  talk  on  special  Eastern 
subjects  as  experts. 

"  At  midnight  received  a  second  communication 
saying  that  now  that  the  time  and  place  of  meeting 
had  been  decided  upon,  also  the  Plenipotentiaries,  he 
begged  me  to  communicate  with  the  President,  follow 
ing  out  his  ideas,  and  ascertain  if  the  Japanese  did  not 
consider  that  there  were  grounds  for  an  armistice,  and 
that  the  matter  might  be  arranged  directly  between  the 
Commanders-in-Chief  of  the  two  armies. 

:<  The  sailors  that  mutinied  on  the  Knyaz-Potemkin 
have  complete  possession  of  the  battleship.  They  com 
pelled  a  vessel  loaded  with  coal  to  give  up  half  her 
cargo.  They  pointed  the  guns  on  the  town,  and  then 
went  ashore  and  buried  the  sailor  that  the  officer  shot 
—  carrying  the  motto  on  a  red  flag,  '  All  for  one  and 
one  for  all ' ;  then  they  returned  to  the  vessel  and  are 
awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  fleet  from  Sebastopol.  It 
is  feared  that  the  mutiny  may  spread  to  the  other  ves 
sels,  as  this  has  been  organized  by  the  Socialists. 

"  July  1.  —  Received  the  sudden  and  sad  news  of 
Mr.  Hay's  death.  He  had  lately  returned  from  Mann 
heim,  and  it  was  supposed  the  cure  had  reestablished 
his  health.  I  received  a  letter  from  him  in  Paris, 
dated  June  1,  in  which  he  seemed  in  excellent  spirits. 
He  took  up  the  Department's  work  at  Washington, 
June  20,  for  a  week,  and  then  went  to  his  place  in 


19051  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  173 

New  Hampshire,  where  he  died.  The  President,  the 
nation,  and  the  world  lose  an  able  statesman  and  an 
upright  man  who  believed  in  speaking  the  truth  in 
diplomacy. 

"  Alice  and  the  family  left  at  6  o'clock  for  Paris. 
I  shall  miss  them  fearfully,  but  it  is  a  relief  to  have 
them  out  of  the  country,  as  affairs  begin  to  look  very 
bad  again.  The  German  Ambassador,  Swiss  Minister, 
and  several  diplomats  come  down  to  see  them  off." 

To  President  Roosevelt 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  18/1  July,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  ME.  PRESIDENT,  — 

The  troubles  at  Lodz,  Odessa,  and  Libau  look  very  serious, 
especially  in  the  last  two  places.  I  am  unable  to  get  detailed 
information  as  yet,  on  account  of  the  strict  censorship,  but 
the  fact  that  the  sailors  on  board  the  Knyaz-Potemkin  mutinied, 
killed  several  of  the  officers,  and  took  possession  of  the  ship, 
and  about  the  same  time  the  marines  in  Libau  rebelled  and 
destroyed  their  barracks,  gives  the  appearance  of  concerted 
action  between  the  men  of  the  Black  Sea  fleet  and  those  of  the 
Baltic. 

The  danger  is  that  these  actions  and  doings  may  prove 
an  example  and  suggest  possibilities  to  the  soldiers.  As  yet  I 
have  heard  of  no  disloyalty  among  the  troops. 

'  The  prevarications,  misrepresentations,  and  procrastina 
tions  that  go  on  in  the  Foreign  Office  would  have  seriously  tried 
the  patience  of  Job.  The  Emperor  no  sooner  makes  an  advance 
or  a  step  in  the  right  direction  than  immediately  its  force  is 
weakened  by  a  communication  to  the  press  from  the  Foreign 
Office,  or  obstacles  are  put  up  by  the  bureaucracy  in  the  way 
of  dilatory  tactics.  ^  For  example,  nothing  was  plainer  and 


174  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

clearer  than  the  Emperor's  acceptance  of  your  invitation,  there 
being  no  condition  other  than  secrecy  if  Japan  declined;  yet 
the  note  from  Lamsdorff,  with  a  tone  of  superior  indifference, 
was  foreign  to  the  Emperor's  acceptance.  As  another  instance 
of  bureaucratic  ways,  when  the  Emperor,  on  the  19th  of  June, 
received  the  committee  of  fourteen,  representatives  of  different 
parts  of  Russia,  the  Tsar  declared  his  firm  intention  to  summon 
a  national  representative  assembly.  He  also  said :  "  I  hope 
from  this  day  forward  that  the  relations  between  me  and  my 
people  will  enter  upon  a  new  phase."  All  this  was  modified  in 
St.  Petersburg  when  printed,  and  the  text  of  the  speeches 
altered  so  as  to  conform  with  less  advanced  ideas,  the 
bureaucracy  not  relishing  the  tenor  of  the  Peterhof  speeches. 
The  Russ,  a  St.  Petersburg  journal,  was  suppressed  for  a 
month,  the  offense  consisting  in  publishing  the  text  of  the 
Zemstvo  address,  which,  although  it  was  received  by  the  Em 
peror,  is  considered  by  the  bureaucracy  an  illegal  document, 
because  it  was  passed  and  adopted  by  an  unauthorized  gath 
ering. 

The  Emperor  is  somewhat  in  the  position  that  a  weak, 
but  honest  mayor  might  be  in  in  New  York,  with  Tammany  in 
absolute  control,  the  difference  being  that  the  Emperor  can 
remove  any  one  instantly  without  any  reasons  or  excuses,  but 
unfortunately  he  lacks  the  force;  yet  I  believe  his  intentions 
are  honest  and  well-meant,  but  he  is  surrounded  by  men  who  are 
not  in  sympathy  with  needed  reform,  nor  are  they  to  be  relied 
upon. 

On  account  of  the  illiteracy  in  Russia,  it  will  take  a  gen 
eration  to  raise  the  standard  of  citizenship.  What  is  needed  is 
primary  schools  in  the  country  and  town  districts,  trial  by  jury, 
freedom  of  the  press,  and  a  national  representative  assembly. 

From  the  cables  that  I  sent  off  to  the  Department  early 
this  morning,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Foreign  Office  has  finally 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  175 

waked  up  to  the  necessity  of  action  and  the  great  desirability  of 
an  armistice.  The  Tsar  recognized  it  the  day  he  accepted  your 
invitation,  when  I  was  at  Tsarskoe  Selo ;  yet  two  weeks  ago  I 
urged  upon  Lamsdorff  the  necessity  of  appointing  plenipo 
tentiaries  promptly  and  arranging  with  as  little  delay  as  pos 
sible  all  preliminaries. 

The  appointment  of  Mouravieff  I  hope  will  turn  out  to  be 
a  good  one.  The  German  Ambassador  told  me  before  it  was 
decided  that  he  considered  him  to  be  the  best  man  that  they  had 
in  the  diplomatic  service.  He  is  also  spoken  of  as  the  future 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  to  succeed  Lamsdorff. 

Believe  me, 

Yours  respectfully, 

1  GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 


[Diary] 

"  July  2.  —  Received  a  cable  from  the  President  at 
8.30  A.M.,  in  which  he  announces  both  countries  having 
agreed  to  the  plenipotentiaries.  He  will  announce  that 
they  have  been  appointed  as  with  full  powers  to  make  a 
treaty  of  peace,  the  same  to  be  ratified  by  the  home 
governments. 

"  As  to  an  armistice,  which  Lamsdorff  asked  the 
President  to  take  up,  they  object  to  the  idea  that  they 
are  asking  this  of  Japan,  but  only  personally  of  the 
President,  for  his  advice  and  action  if  possible.  I 
cabled  this  to  the  President  and  asked  him  to  keep 
secret  whatever  they  do.  It  is  a  small  point  and  the 
distinction  typically  Russian,  always  trying  to  save 
their  face. 

"July  3.  —  Cabled  early  this  morning  the  names 


176  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

of  the  five  special  delegates  whom  the  Tsar  has  ap 
pointed,  saying  that  he  did  this  showing  that  he  wanted 
to  make  a  lasting  agreement.  They  will  accompany 
the  First  Plenipotentiary. 

"  Cabled  the  President  that  heretofore  I  have 
thought  Revolution  improbable,  but  the  events  of  the 
last  week  (the  increasing  strikes,  the  disturbances  at 
Lodz,  the  Marines  revolting  at  Libau,  the  successful 
mutiny  at  Odessa,  which  resulted  in  the  officers  being 
killed  and  the  vessel,  Potemkin,  battleship,  captured), 
have  entirely  changed  the  aspect  of  affairs.  Should 
Japan  refuse  an  armistice  and  inflict  a  defeat  on  the 
Russian  army,  impossible  to  foretell  event,  due  to  the 
public  state  of  mind  and  the  incompetency  of  the 
Government. 

"  July  4.  —  Had  no  celebration  to-day  on  account 
of  Mr.  Hay's  death.  Received  a  cable  from  the  Presi 
dent,  saying  that  he  had  notified  Japan  that  proposi 
tion  for  an  armistice  came  from  him  and  not  from 
Russia.  He  had  also  notified  Japan  of  the  five  dele 
gates  named,  giving  the  names. 

"  The  mutiny  on  board  the  Potemkin  took  place 
during  the  manoeuvre  of  the  fleet,  when  the  sailors 
complained  of  the  soup  and  said  that  they  could  not 
eat  it.  The  officers  ordered  those  who  could  eat  it  to 
stand  on  one  side.  These  outnumbered  the  complain 
ants,  but  the  latter  ran  for  the  guns.  The  officer 
ordered  the  men  to  shoot  at  the  mutinous  crew,  and 
they  refused.  The  officer  then  fired  his  pistol,  and 
was  killed  by  the  crew.  They  also  shot  the  Captain 
as  he  came  out  of  his  cabin,  and  hunted  down  the  offi- 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  177 

cers  like  rats,  and  even  the  men  who  refused  to  take 
part. 

"July  5.  —  Mr.  Hay  buried  to-day. 

"  The  Potemkin  put  into  the  port  of  Roumania 
and  demanded  provisions  and  coal,  which  were  not 
granted.  They  have  given  out  (the  crew)  a  proclama 
tion  that  they  are  at  war  with  Russia,  that  foreign 
vessels  will  not  be  touched  or  attacked.  It  seemed 
they  notified  the  foreign  vessels  to  move  out  of  the  har 
bour  of  Odessa,  where  they  are  in  danger  of  their 
storming  and  firing  on  the  city. 

<f  July  7.  —  Battleship  Potemkin  still  at  large  in 
the  Black  Sea.  What  an  example  to  Russian  Navy 
and  Army! 

"  Busy  all  day  writing  dispatches  for  the  pouch 
which  leaves  to-morrow  via  Berlin. 

"Receive  an  important  letter  from  the  President; 
very  confidential,  and  shows  conclusive  reason  why 
Russia  for  her  own  good  should  make  peace.  Shall 
endeavour  to  get  this  to  the  Emperor's  attention,  but 
will  be  difficult. 

"July  8.  —  Yacht  Greta  arrives,  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  C.  L.  F.  Robinson,  Miss  Robins,  Stuyvy  LeRoy, 
Frank  Griswold.  They  have  been  at  the  Kiel  Regatta. 
Robinson  said  that  the  Emperor  sent  his  regards  to 
me,  and  also  the  message  that  he  was  sorry  that  this 
summer  he  would  not  be  at  Bergen  to  entertain  my  wife 
and  children. 

"  Send  a  confidential  letter  dated  to-day,  on  the 
situation  here,  to  the  President  in  the  pouch  by  our 
special  messenger  via  Berlin." 


178  GEORGE  YON  L.  MEYER 

To  President  Roosevelt 

i  ST.  PETERSBURG,  July  8,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  MB.  PRESIDENT,  — 

In  acknowledging  your  letter  of  the  19th  of  June,  which 
came  to  hand  last  evening,  I  want  at  the  same  time  to  assure 
you  how  much  I  appreciate  what  you  said. 

Now  as  to  Russia  and  peace,  I  think  the  Emperor  really 
desires  it,  but  your  arguments  are  so  clear  and  conclusive,  and 
you  strike  the  nail  so  squarely  on  the  head,  that  I  desire  to 
bring  your  letter  to  the  Tsar's  attention,  if  possible  without 
Lamsdorff's  assistance,  as  he  is  tricky  and  not  absolutely 
reliable.  It  is  about  as  difficult  to  see  the  Emperor  as  it  is  the 
Sultan.  The  Foreign  Office  and  some  of  the  members  of  the 
bureaucracy  have  not  yet  got  over  the  fact  that  the  Tsar 
accepted  your  invitation  on  the  basis  of  your  cablegram  with 
out  referring  the  matter  to  them. 

I  cabled  you  confidentially  July  3  the  state  of  internal 
affairs,  as  they  were  very  serious.  I  find  that  some  of  the 
Russians  that  I  know  have  returned  from  their  country  places, 
realizing  that  it  is  no  longer  safe  for  them,  which  shows  that 
the  peasants  are  being  affected.  The  condition  of  the  Black 
Sea  fleet  is  lamentable  and  pitiable,  and  if  mutiny  once  spreads 
to  the  army,  the  present  dynasty  is  doomed. 

The  Tsar  promises  reforms  and  the  bureaucracy  puts  up 
hindrances  and  delays,  and  the  worst  of  all  is  the  prospect  of 
further  delay.  However,  since  the  marines  rebelled  at  Libau, 
and  the  sailors  of  the  Black  Sea  fleet  mutinied  at  Odessa,  it 
has  finally  dawned  on  almost  all  the  officials  (though  they  may 
not  express  it  openly),  that  peace  is  a  necessity,  especially  as 
the  last  mobilization  of  troops  has  proven  so  unpopular,  that 
in  St.  Petersburg  they  have  discontinued  it  and  have  sent  many 
of  the  men  back  to  their  various  occupations. 

What  is  needed  most  of  all,  as  I  said  in  my  last  dispatch 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  179 

to  the  Department,  is  a  regime  of  discussion,  publicity,  and 
action,  in  place  of  mystery,  duplicity,  and  inaction. 

Ten  days  ago  I  dined  with  a  certain  Russian  Prince  who 
is  an  aide-de-camp  of  the  Emperor  and  a  great  favourite. 
Thinking  that  it  would  get  to  the  Emperor's  ear,  I  took  this 
opportunity  to  call  the  Prince's  attention  to  the  tone  that  the 
Foreign  Office  had  assumed  in  their  communications  concerning 
the  Peace  Conference,  and  stated  that  Japan  had  made  capital 
with  all  the  powers  by  her  straightforward,  frank,  and  manly 
responses.  A  few  days  later  I  noticed  a  marked  change  in 
Lamsdorff  and  a  decided  anxiety  for  an  armistice;  and  then 
came  the  communication  (July  3)  from  the  Foreign  Office,  in 
which  it  said  that:  "  The  Emperor,  as  an  evidence  of  his  sincere 
desire  to  come  to  a  lasting  agreement  between  Russia  and 
Japan,  and  in  view  of  the  importance  of  the  negotiations  to 
be  opened  at  Washington,  has  named  as  special  delegates,  etc., 
etc.,"  which  is  the  first  flat-footed  statement  that  I  have  received 
from  the  Foreign  Office. 

Believe  me,  Mr.  President, 

Respectfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER.  v 

[Diary] 

ff  July  9.  —  The  papers  say  that  the  Japanese  are 
attacking  Sakhaline.  It  would  be  unfortunate  for 
the  Russians  should  they  lose  this  island  before  the 
Plenipotentiaries  meet. 

"  Mouravieff,  Ambassador  to  Rome,  and  now  First 
Plenipotentiary  for  the  Peace  Conference,  arrives  in 
St.  P. 

"  It  is  reported  that  the  Potemkin  has  surrendered 
in  a  Roumanian  port,  and  the  crew  gone  on  shore. 


180  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

<e  July  11.  —  Receive  cable  from  State  Depart 
ment,  saying  that  the  President  sends  me  word  that 
he  does  not  believe  he  will  be  able  to  arrange  an 
armistice  with  Japan  before  the  Plenipotentiaries  meet 
(August  1),  partly  on  account  of  the  unfortunate 
reading  of  Lamsdorff's  communique,  given  to  press 
about  the  Plenipotentiaries  and  the  acceptance  of  the 
invitation  for  them  to  meet.  Called  on  Lamsdorff  at 
10  A.M.  by  appointment.  He  did  not  enjoy  my  re 
ferring  to  his  so-called  unfortunate  communique;  said 
Japan  was  only  using  that  as  an  excuse:  she  really 
wanted  to  go  on  improving  her  position  until  the  last 
moment.  He  again  added  that  the  wording  he  used 
in  his  communique  should  not  have  been  misunder 
stood,  as  he  only  used,  '  if  Japan  desires  it,'  as  Russia 
did  not  know,  officially,  then,  or  was  not  supposed  to, 
what  Japan  would  say,  and  [it]  could  not  be  done 
without  her  consent.  He  promised  to  show  a  confi 
dential  letter  I  had  received  from  the  President  to  the 
Tsar.  To  my  mind  Lamsdorff  expressed  his  com 
munique  to  give  a  false  impression  to  the  public. 

"  July  12.  —  De  Witte  has  been  appointed  First 
Plenipotentiary  in  place  of  Mouravieff  —  an  excellent 
move. 

"  July  13.  —  Cabled  the  State  Department  of  the 
appointment  of  de  Witte  in  place  of  Mouravieff,  who 
is  not  in  good  health.  Also  sent  a  cable  at  noon  quot 
ing  the  Edict  of  the  Emperor  in  which  he  appoints 
Admiral  Birileff  Secretary  of  the  Marine;  speaks  of 
the  serious  lack  of  discipline  among  the  officers  and 
the  grave  events  which  have  taken  place  in  the  Black 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  181 

Sea  fleet,  and  asks  his  assistance  to  bring  the  Navy 
up  to  a  proper  basis  and  stand. 

ff  July  14.  —  The  Japanese  are  continuing  the  con 
quest  of  Sakhaline  by  changing  the  names  of  the  capes 
and  towns.  Evidently  they  want  to  make  it  an  assured 
fact  that  it  is  Japanese  territory  before  the  meeting  of 
the  Conference  at  Washington. 

"  Heretofore  the  Russians  have  prided  themselves 
on  the  fact  that  the  Japs  had  not  put  a  foot  on  Russian 
soil. 

"July  16.  —  Witte  called  on  me  this  afternoon  at 
4  o'clock.  He  impressed  me  as  a  man  of  force  and 
character.  He  spoke  most  frankly  and  directly,  more 
so  than  any  man  that  I  have  met  in  Russia.  He  said 
that  he  had  been  adverse  to  the  war  from  the  first  and 
had  been  for  peace. 

ff  July  17.  —  A  beautiful  summer's  day,  everything 
seemed  so  peaceful.  One  does  not  imagine  that  bombs 
are  being  made  in  almost  any  house,  and  that  the  coun 
try  is  at  war  with  Japan,  and  internal  strife  going  on 
among  the  workmen,  Jews,  and  reactionists." 

To  President  Roosevelt 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  July  18,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

A  week  ago  to-day  I  sent  for  the  same  aide-de-camp  that 
I  have  before  spoken  of,  and  who  was  staying  with  the  Tsar,  to 
come  and  see  me,  as  I  wanted  him  to  know,  in  order  that  he 
might  inform  the  Emperor,  that  I  was  giving  your  letter  the 
next  morning  to  Lamsdorff  to  carry  to  Peterhof. 

I  had  heard  that  Mouravieff's  health  and  indisposition  might 


182  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  I1905 

prevent  his  going  to  Washington.  Therefore  it  was  of  the 
utmost  importance  that  the  Emperor  should  realize  the  neces 
sity  of  appointing  their  best  man  in  place  of  Mouravieff.  I  felt 
nothing  would  bring  it  so  forcibly  before  him  as  your  letter  to 
me.  It  is  only  fair  to  Lamsdorff  to  say  that  he  had  wanted 
Witte  from  the  first. 

Two  days  later  Witte  was  appointed,  and  I  have  a  strong 
feeling  that  your  note  was  instrumental  in  assisting  to  bring 
this  about.  The  naming  of  Witte  as  First  Plenipotentiary  has 
had  a  marked  effect  in  this  country,  and  has  given  a  feeling  of 
confidence  as  to  the  manner  in  which  the  pourparlers  will  be 
carried  on  with  Japan.  It  is  recognized  as  a  decided  move  in 
favour  of  peace  by  the  English  and  Continental  press. 

Witte  came  and  called  on  me  yesterday  afternoon,  and  I 
cabled  to  the  Department  my  impressions.  I  also  arranged  an 
interview  with  him  for  the  Associated  Press  representative,  Mr. 
Thompson,  which  will  be  published  this  week.  Witte  did  not 
hesitate  to  tell  me  that  he  had  been  opposed  to  the  war  from 
the  first  and  had  counselled  making  peace  on  two  previous  occa 
sions.  He  said,  however,  it  must  be  understood  that  he  was 
going  as  the  representative  of  the  Tsar,  and  should  work  under 
his  instructions  to  the  best  of  his  ability  to  bring  about  peace. 
Therefore  everything  depended  upon  whether  the  Japanese 
would  offer  such  terms  as  could  be  accepted.  He  added  that 
he  did  not  understand  why  Japan  was  not  willing  to  announce 
the  basis  on  which  peace  should  be  considered  before  their  meet 
ing  in  Washington.  He  regretted  extremely  that  Marquis  Ito 
was  not  to  be  in  America,  as  he  had  a  great  admiration  and 
respect  for  him  and  felt  that  they  could  have  come  to  some 
understanding  within  an  hour.  Whatever  the  result  may  be, 
he  expressed  great  pleasure  in  having  the  opportunity  to  visit 
America. 

I  am  enclosing  translation  of  an  article  from  the  Novoe 


aosi  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  183 

Vremya,  which  is  always  hostile  to  the  United  States,  entitled: 
"  The  Secret  Alliance  between  America  and  Japan." 

Poland  continues  in  a  state  of  unrest,  and  an  increased 
number  of  bombs  are  constantly  being  found  by  the  police  in 
the  various  cities  of  Russia. 
Believe  me,  Mr.  President, 

'  Respectfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 

July  19. 

P.  S.  Mouravieff's  inability  and  unwillingness  to  serve, 
for  various  reasons,  developed  so  rapidly  that  there  was  not 
sufficient  time  for  me  to  arrange  for  a  private  audience  with 
the  Emperor.  Therefore  I  gave  your  letter  to  the  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs.  It  reached  the  desired  destination  and  was 
returned  next  day  with  thanks  by  Count  Lamsdorff.  I  called 
on  Witte  yesterday  afternoon,  in  order  to  wish  him  success  and 
bon  voyage;  he  told  me  that  the  Emperor  was  writing  a  letter 
to  you  which  he  would  be  charged  to  carry. 

Personally  I  am  much  relieved  that  Mouravieff  is  not  to 
serve.  You  may  remember  his  address  at  The  Hague,  which 
gave  great  offense  to  the  Japanese. 

The  papers  have  just  come  to  hand  with  your  speech  at 
Commencement  (Cambridge).  I  was  very  glad  you  spoke  as 
you  did  concerning  the  standard  which  the  lawyer  and  business 
man  should  take.  Since  the  disgraceful  disclosure  of  the  Equi 
table,  a  campaign  of  education  as  to  business  morals  and 
standards  seems  to  be  as  necessary  as  was  at  one  time  the  cam 
paign  of  education  for  an  honest  dollar.  What  gain  has  the 
nation  made  if  the  standard  of  men  holding  positions  of  trust 
has  been  lowered  and  debased? 

G.  v.  L.  M. 


184  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

[Diary] 

"July  21.  —  Received  interesting  letter  from  Pres 
ident  Roosevelt,  in  which,  among  other  things,  he  told 
me  that  one  of  the  last  things  John  Hay  told  him  was 
'  that  he  was  very  glad  that  I  had  made  such  a  success 
of  my  mission  to  St.  Petersburg.'  Wrote  to  the  Presi 
dent  about  Witte  and  the  good  impression  which  it  had 
made  everywhere  (his  appointment  as  First  Plenipo 
tentiary).  The  Russians  are  putting  up  a  tremen 
dous  bluff  about  wanting  the  war  to  go  on,  but  with 
the  condition  of  internal  affairs,  there  is  but  one  thing 
for  Russia  to  do,  —  make  peace  before  it  is  too  late. 
If  they  do  not  do  so,  I  cannot  foretell  what  the  out 
come  will  be. 

"  July  22.  —  Reports  have  come  through  the  for 
eign  papers  of  the  condition  of  the  Russian  fleet  as 
reported  by  Rodjestvensky  and  Nebogatoff.  It  is 
said  that  the  armour  plate  was  not  of  required  thick 
ness,  many  shells  did  not  burst,  and  the  crews  on  some 
of  the  vessels  under  Nebogotoff  mutinied  and  refused 
to  fight.  He  was  obliged  to  train  his  guns  on  some 
(two)  of  the  ships  to  make  them  fight.  On  these  two 
vessels  lots  of  ammunition  was  found.  Rodjestvensky 
had  hoped  to  slip  through  the  straits  in  the  fog,  but 
it  lifted  two  hours  too  soon. 

<f  July  23.  —  Passed  the  day  with  Csekonics  at  the 
Wishaw,  very  attractive  place  near  Strelna.  Rained 
so  that  we  could  not  play  tennis. 

"  Went  from  there  to  Tsarskoe  to  dine  with  the 
d'Aehrenthals.  He  told  me  that  the  Tsar  had  gone  over 


1905}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  185 

on  his  yacht  to  the  Swedish  coast  to  have  a  conference 
with  the  German  Emperor.1  The  yacht  left  Peterhof 
at  10  A.M.  He  had  with  him  Grand  Duke  Michel 
Alexander,  the  Minister  of  the  Marine,  Baron  Fred 
ericks,  and  German  Naval  Attache,  Captain  Hintze. 
Has  created  much  interest. 

"  The  disturbances  expected  to-day  did  not  take 
place,  everything  quiet. 

"  July  24.  —  As  to  the  conference  between  the  two 
Emperors.  It  is  thought  by  some  it  referred  to  in 
ternal  affairs,  by  others  that  Russia  is  not  pleased  with 
the  French  Alliance,  since  she  [France]  refused  to 
continue  to  loan  her  money  last  winter,  and  also  looks 
with  doubt  at  the  new  alliance  between  France  and 
England.  Therefore,  it  may  be  on  the  cards  for  Ger 
many  and  Russia  to  come  to  some  agreement. 

te  July  25.  —  The  Tsar  is  returning  to-day  from 
his  audience  with  the  German  Emperor.  Alvensleben, 
the  German  Ambassador,  called  on  me  to-day  to  say 
that  he  knew  nothing  about  it  until  last  Saturday,  the 
day  before  the  Tsar  started.  It  is  cruel  that  they  do 
not  keep  him  posted,  and  very  embarrassing,  as  it  be 
littles  him  among  his  colleagues. 

"July  26.  —  Receive  word  from  the  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs,  Count  Lamsdorff,  that  he  will  not  be 
able  to  receive  the  Diplomatic  Corps.  I  hear  he  has 

iSee  American  Historical  Review,  October,  1918,  for  article  "Kaiser 
and  Tsar,  1904-5,"  dealing  with  Tsar's  conference  at  Bj5rke,  and  the 
secret  treaty  between  the  two  Emperors,  aimed  at  solidifying  Germany 
and  Russia,  at  the  instance  of  the  Kaiser,  against  France  and  England — 
a  treaty  subsequently  annulled  by  the  Foreign  Ministers  of  Prussia  and 
Germany.  See  also  "The  Willy-Nicky  Correspondence,"  by  Herman 
Bernstein  (1918). 


186  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

had  another  of  his  fainting  fits  —  I  am  afraid  that 
some  day  they  will  carry  him  off. 

'  The  papers  continue  to  guess  what  was  the  cause 
of  the  meeting  between  the  Kaiser  and  the  Emperor. 

"July  27.  —  The  fog  between  Southampton  and 
Cherbourg  prevented  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  der  Grosse 
from  reaching  Cherbourg  yesterday.  She,  however, 
got  to  Cherbourg  to-day  and  Witte  sailed  at  1.30. 
The  Japanese  plenipotentiaries  are  already  in  America, 
as  usual,  always  ahead  of  the  Russians. 

"  July  30.  —  Lunch  at  the  British  Embassy  at  1 
o'clock.  Baring *  and  Lord  Cranley 2  were  there.  We 
discussed  the  chances  of  peace.  I  think  Sir  Charles 3 
believes  it  very  doubtful. 

"  I  said,  unless  '  the  gods  have  made  them  mad ' 
they  will  make  peace  for  three  reasons:  1st.  The 
bankers  will  give  them  no  more  money  if  they  con 
tinue  the  war;  2nd.  The  internal  disturbances  require 
their  attention  —  entire;  3rd.  The  Japanese  have  an 
army  of  two  men  for  every  Russian. 

"July  31.  —  The  Russians,  it  seems,  fear  that 
eventually  Norway,  Sweden,  and  Denmark  will  make 
an  alliance,  so  that  Russia  in  the  Baltic  will  be  in  the 
same  position  as  they  are  in  the  Black  Sea.  Mean 
time,  however,  it  looks  as  though  the  union  of  Norway 
and  Sweden  would  be  dissolved  without  bloodshed, 
although  Sweden  feels  it  keenly.  Some  think  that  the 
Kaiser  wanted  to  talk  Norway  over  with  the  Tsar,  on 

1  Hon.  Maurice  Baring  of  the  British  Embassy  at  Rome  while  Meyer 
was  there. 

2  Third  Secretary  of  the  British  Embassy. 

s  Sir  Charles  Hardinge,  British  Ambassador,  Viceroy  of  India,  1910-16. 


19051  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  187 

the  possibility  of  a  Prince  of  Hohenzollern  being  put 
on  the  throne. 

"August  1.  —  It  appears  that  an  important  con 
ference  is  going  on  at  Peterhof,  at  which  the  Emperor 
is  presiding.  Grand  Duke  Vladimir,  Michel,  and  all 
the  important  ministers  are  present.  They  have  taken 
up  the  Bulygin  report,  and  are  considering  the  question 
of  a  national  assembly  and  certain  reforms.  The  Em 
peror  and  Grand  Dukes  went  on  record  as  favouring 
reforms  and  a  National  Assembly.  But  Lamsdorff 
and  certain  ministers  against.  It  is  evident  why  they 
are  against  it,  as  they  do  not  want  to  have  interroga 
tion  as  to  their  action  and  administration. 

"  Receive  letter  from  Groton  School  that  '  Bey ' 
must  be  reexamined  in  September  in  Algebra  and 
English.  Cable  Alice  to  arrange  for  lessons  at  once." 

To  President  Roosevelt 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  August  I,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  ME.  PRESIDENT,  — 

I  beg  leave  to  acknowledge  your  kind  letter  of  July  7, 
and  to  assure  you  how  much  I  value  the  words  said  to  you  by 
the  late  John  Hay.  Both  you  and  the  country  are  fortunate  to 
be  able  to  command  the  services  of  such  a  man  as  Elihu  Root. 

The  Moscow  Congress  has  attracted  great  interest  and 
attention  throughout  the  country,  —  even  more  than  the  war 
for  the  moment,  —  and  it  has  already  resulted  in  a  tentative 
promise  from  the  Tsar  to  give  more  land  to  the  peasants,  and 
the  government  scheme  of  a  national  assembly  is  being  revised 
on  a  more  liberal  basis  than  Bulygin  proposed.  The  longer 
the  Tsar  delays,  the  greater  will  be  the  reforms  which  he  will 
finally  have  to  grai-t. 


188  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

St.  Petersburg  is  practically  a  bureaucratic  city,  and  it 
is  the  last  place  to  realize  the  requirements  of  the  country  or 
the  demands  of  the  people. 

The  sudden  and  unexpected  meeting  of  the  Emperors  on 
July  24  threw  the  Continental  press  almost  into  hysterics. 
The  English  diplomats  here  were  much  aroused,  being  sus 
picious  of  the  Kaiser's  motives,  one  going  so  far  as  to  say  it 
was  another  case  of  the  Kriiger  telegram.  The  French  saw  a 
second  Morocco  incident.  The  Austrians  shook  their  heads, 
but  thought  the  Kaiser  desired  to  warn  the  Tsar  against  mak 
ing  too  great  concessions  to  the  reformers  or  revolutionists. 
The  French  press,  in  some  instances,  feared  it  would  result  in 
lessening  the  chances  of  peace,  as  the  Tsar  would  not  be  less 
willing  to  make  concessions,  having  German  support,  while,  on 
the  other  hand,  some  English  correspondents  pointed  out  that 
it  was  an  attempt  for  a  Russian-French-German  alliance  on 
Eastern  affairs.  And  so  it  ran.  But  now  the  excitement  has 
passed  off  and  the  nervousness  has  disappeared.  The  German 
Ambassador  called  on  me  and  assured  me  that  the  meeting  had 
been  arranged  by  the  Emperors  themselves ;  that  twenty-four 
hours  before  the  Tsar  left,  he  knew  nothing  about  it.  His 
naval  attache  had  reported  that  the  conference  had  been  satis 
factory  and  agreeable.  He  did  not  consider  that  it  meant  any 
change  of  policy,  or  that  it  was  of  any  great  importance,  other 
than  that  he  knew  that  his  Emperor  was  very  much  in  favour 
of  peace  and  therefore  he  believed  it  could  not  but  be  beneficial 
in  that  respect. 

Lately,  in  Paris,  a  part  of  the  press  and  some  of  the  poli 
ticians  not  members  of  the  government,  have  intimated  that 
the  Franco-Russian  alliance  had  been  very  expensive  to  France 
and  was  losing  its  usefulness ;  but  as  soon  as  the  Emperors  met 
and  they  imagined  Germany  was  trying  for  an  alliance  with 
Russia,  the  tone  instantly  changed  and  statements  were  made 


1905}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  189 

everywhere  in  France  that  the  alliance  between  Russia  and 
France  was  as  strong  as  ever. 

General  Barry *  has  written  me  from  Manchuria  of  the 
necessity  of  a  military  attache  in  St.  Petersburg  at  the  present 
time,  for  the  reason  that  a  great  deal  of  the  information  re 
quired  can  be  obtained  much  more  easily  and  better  at  the  War 
Office  in  St.  Petersburg,  where  the  reports  are  now  being 
received  and  filed,  than  in  the  field.  He  has  sent  a  long  list  of 
items  required  for  information  from  the  War  Office.  Now 
Captain  Mott  supplements  this  with  an  additional  list  from 
Paris.  I  have  written  to  the  State  Department  endorsing  Gen-- 
eral  Barry's  recommendation  and  urging  the  assignment  of  a 
military  attache  here.  It  is  of  great  importance  that  he  should 
speak  French. 

When  this  reaches  you,  the  world  will  probably  know  defi 
nitely  whether  Russia  and  Japan  are  to  come  to  terms.  I  sin 
cerely  hope  that  this  may  be  brought  about,  for  the  reason  that, 
if  war  continues,  I  have  grave  doubts  as  to  the  future  outcome 
of  events  in  this  country. 

Believe  me,  '  Respectfully  yours, 

'  GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 

P.S.  While  there  is  undoubtedly  a  great  deal  of  bluff  going 
on,  in  order  if  possible  to  affect  Japan,  there  is  still,  incom 
prehensible  as  it  may  appear  to  you,  quite  a  war  party.  Prince 
Hohenlohe,  the  Austrian  military  attache,  tells  me  he  has  talked 
with  several  of  the  old  generals,  who  labour  under  the  delusion 
that  their  army  has  a  chance  of  victory  under  Linevich.  Only 
yesterday  a  petition  was  received  by  the  Emperor  from  the 
clergy  and  people  of  five  districts  of  the  Orenburg  Government 
(representing  38,000  people),  asking  him  not  to  sign  a  dis- 

iMaj.-Gen.  T.  H.  Barry,  U.  S.  A.,  and  other  American  army  officers, 
had  recently  passed  through  St.  Petersburg,  where  the  Tsar  had  received 
them,  on  their  way  to  the  front  as  observers. 


190  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

graceful  peace.     I  fear  that  all  this  may  have  quite  an  effect 
on  the  Emperor  and  very  little  on  the  Japanese. 

G.  v.  L.  M. 

[Diary] 

"  August  3.  —  Send  cable  to  Washington  on  the 
present  conditions  and  state  of  affairs.  The  war 
party  have  been  doing  a  good  deal  in  order  to  in 
fluence  the  Emperor  to  continue  the  war,  petitions 
coming  from  the  officers  of  the  army,  from  different 
towns,  and  from  even  the  clergy  in  some  instances! 
Also  the  reformers  and  so-called  revolutionists  would 
prefer  to  see  peace  postponed  for  a  while,  because  they 
think  that  in  the  present  condition  of  affairs  they  can 
force  the  calling  of  a  national  assembly,  and  at  a  very 
early  date.  On  the  other  hand,  if  peace  was  declared, 
it  would  postpone  the  assembly  and  the  needed  reform. 
It  is  not  that  they  are  against  peace,  but  want  reforms 
more. 

<e  August  5.  —  Call  at  the  Ministry  of  Finance. 
Timiriaseff  informed  me  that  Russia  was  favourably 
disposed  to  accept  the  proposition  of  the  United  States 
to  make  a  commercial  agreement  under  Section  3  of 
the  Act  of  1897;  this  to  be  used  as  a  bridge  to  cross, 
and  that  in  anticipation  of  this  agreement  he  favoured 
the  abolition  of  the  discriminating  duties  against  the 
United  States,  not  in  the  next  few  days,  but  very  soon, 
as  they  did  not  wish  to  appear  to  be  influencing  Ameri 
can  opinion  during  the  pourparlers  for  peace. 

'  The  Plenipotentiaries  are  to  be  received  by  the 
President  to-day  on  the  government  yacht  Mayflower, 


19051  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  191 

and  presented  to  each  other.  Cabled  the  President  that 
I  had  received  the  information  that  the  Tsar  had  signed 
a  constitution. 

ff  August  6.  —  Met  the  British  Ambassador,  Sir 
Charles  Hardinge,  coming  from  church  as  I  was  going 
to  the  Chancery.  He  returned  with  me  and  we  com 
pared  notes  as  to  the  situation  and  the  chances  of 
peace.  I  claimed  that  if,  as  the  French  papers  were 
saying,  it  dated  from  the  time  that  the  German  Em 
peror  and  Tsar  met,  and  it  was  based  on  the  Emperor 
William  having  advised  the  Tsar  not  to  make  peace, 
then  it  was  nonsense  and  the  movement  against  peace 
was  bluff  on  the  part  of  the  Russians;  but,  unfortu 
nately,  it  would  not  affect  the  Japanese,  and  might 
unfortunately  affect  the  Tsar  against  peace.  We  both 
agreed  that  the  outlook  for  peace  was  a  little  better. 

"August  7.  —  Courier  arrives  from  Berlin  with 
pouch  and  letters  from  President  Roosevelt  dated  July 
18.  Cable  Washington  that  the  reformists  were  so 
confident  of  getting  a  national  assembly  that  they  now 
no  longer  were  opposed  to  peace,  and  had  even  urged 
the  Tsar  to  make  peace. 

'  The  President  is  receiving  praise  from  all  sources 
on  the  manner  in  which  he  received  the  plenipoten 
tiaries  on  board  the  yacht  Mayflower  at  Oyster  Bay  on 
Saturday,  August  5.  He  gave  the  following  toast 
which  he  said  was  not  to  be  answered:  '  Gentlemen,  I 
propose  a  toast  to  which  there  will  be  no  answer,  and 
which  I  ask  you  to  honour  in  silence  and  standing.  I 
drink  to  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  the  sovereigns 
and  peoples  of  the  two  great  nations  whose  representa- 


192  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

tives  have  met  one  another  on  this  ship.  It  is  my  most 
earnest  wish  and  prayer,  in  the  interest  of  not  only 
these  two  great  Powers,  but  of  all  mankind,  that  a  just 
and  lasting  peace  may  speedily  be  concluded  between 
them.' 

"August  8.  —  Witte  continues  to  be  received  with 
enthusiasm  in  America.  He  has  made  an  excellent  im 
pression,  being  tall,  blunt,  and  straightforward.  He 
got  off  the  boat  at  Newport  and  went  to  Boston  by 
train,1  and  later  to  Magnolia,  and  then  on  to  Ports 
mouth." 

To  President  Roosevelt 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  August  9,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  ME.  PRESIDENT,  — 

I  beg  leave  to  acknowledge  your  letter  of  the  18th  of  July. 

Since  my  last,  of  the  1st  inst.,  the  conference  presided 
over  by  the  Tsar  at  Peterhof  has  actually  accomplished  some 
thing,  spurred  on,  and  even  alarmed,  by  the  effect  that  has  been 
produced  throughout  the  country  by  the  discussions  of  the 
Moscow  conference. 

The  final  vote  which  decided  the  Emperor  to  grant  a  na 
tional  assembly,  which  it  is  believed  will  be  announced  August 
13,  is  interesting  to  analyse.  The  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs,  the  Minister  of  Justice,  the  Minister  of  the  Court, 
and  the  Minister  of  Agriculture  all  voted  against.  They 
naturally  dread  the  power  of  interrogation  which  will  be  given 
to  the  assembly,  and  the  consequent  publicity  of  their  acts. 
Kokovtzoff,  Minister  of  Finance,  and  Glasoff,  Minister  of  Pub 
lic  Instruction,  refrained  from  voting.  General  Trepoff,  to 

i  It  was  at  the  end  of  this  journey,  according  to  American  newspaper 
reports,  that  Witte,  after  shaking  hands  with  the  engineer  and  fireman 
of  the  train,  outdid  the  practice  of  President  Roosevelt  by  kissing  the 
conductor. 


1905}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  193 

the  surprise  of  every  one,  voted  for  reform  and  a  national  as 
sembly.  This  is  the  first  time  in  his  life  that  he  has  appeared 
in  the  role  of  a  liberal  or  reformer.  He  is  probably  the  best- 
informed  man  in  Russia  as  to  internal  conditions  and  the  dis 
turbances  throughout  the  country,  and  therefore  realizes  the 
necessity  of  the  Tsar  granting  reforms  promptly. 

Ignatieff,  who  had  been  down  to  Odessa,  delivered  a  speech 
warning  the  Tsar  that,  unless  reforms  and  a  national  assembly 
were  granted,  he  considered  the  Romanoff  dynasty  in  actual 
danger  of  being  overthrown  by  a  revolution  which  would  spread 
throughout  the  land.  This  speech,  it  is  said,  made  a  great 
impression,  as  Ignatieff  has  until  lately  been  a  reactionist. 

The  Moscow  reformers,  while  in  principle  they  were  not 
averse  to  peace,  dreaded  it  as  an  occasion  for  the  autocracy 
to  delay  reforms.  Within  three  days  they  have  come  out 
strongly  for  peace,  feeling  sure  now  of  a  national  assembly. 

The  revolutionists  have  been  working  on  the  peasants  in 
various  parts  of  the  country,  and  have  even  made  arrange 
ments  to  distribute  literature  among  the  soldiers  in  the  army 
at  the  front,  urging  them  to  lay  down  their  arms  in  case  peace 
is  not  made. 

I  have  just  come  from  the  Foreign  Office,  where  Lamsdorff 
told  me  that  the  Emperor  was  exceedingly  pleased  by  the  recep 
tion  accorded  in  America  to  Witte.  He  added  that  you  had 
made  a  tremendous  impression  on  Witte,  and  that  he  had 
cabled  the  Emperor  to  that  effect. 

Lamsdorff  spoke  of  the  probabilities  of  getting  the  dis 
criminating  duties  removed,  which  coincides  with  what  the 
Minister  of  Finance  had  already  intimated  to  me,  details  of 
which  I  communicated  to  the  Department. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  Mr.  President, 

• '  Respectfully  yours, 

;  GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYEB. 


194  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

[Diary'] 

ff  August  10.  —  Nice  long  letters  from  the  family 
in  Hamilton.  They  are  delighted  with  the  house  and 
the  changes  on  the  place,  which  delights  me  also. 

"  The  feeling  that  peace  will  not  result  from  the 
meeting  of  the  Plenipotentiaries  at  Portsmouth  con 
tinues.  Russia,  it  is  thought,  will  not  pay  an  indemnity 
nor  yield  Russian  territory  to  Japan.  Japan,  it  is 
thought,  will  demand  not  only  territory  hut  indemnity. 

"  Received  word  this  evening  that  the  terms  have 
been  cabled  to  Russia  by  Witte. 

ff  August  16.  -  -  The  pourparlers  at  Portsmouth 
are  progressing  with  more  promise  of  success.  They 
have  so  far  agreed  upon  four  articles:  exclusive  in 
fluence  of  Japan  in  Corea,  recognizing  the  sovereignty 
of  the  ruling  House ;  the  Russians  and  Japanese  agree 
to  evacuate  Manchuria  and  to  renounce  all  privileges 
and  to  recognize  it  as  Chinese  territory,  with  the  open 
door;  Russia  cedes  to  China  the  railroad  from  Harbin 
south ;  Port  Arthur  and  Dalny  with  privileges  ceded  to 
Japan. 

"  Call  on  Count  Cassini,  find  him  at  home.  Assures 
me  that  he  did  not  leave  Washington  without  regret. 
Spoke  very  nicely  about  Mr.  Hay,  and  told  how  he  had 
received  from  him  two  books  as  a  memento. 

ff  August  17.  —  Associated  Press  cables  that  dis 
criminating  duties  are  to  be  removed  as  the  result  of 
my  conference  with  the  Foreign  Office  and  Department 
of  Finance,  but  will  be  announced  by  Witte  or  Rosen 
in  America.  These  discriminating  duties  have  been  in 


19051  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  195 

force  since  the  beginning  of  1901,  and  have  been  very 
detrimental  to  commerce  between  Russia  and  America. 
The  bridge  used  to  come  together  on  this  subject  is 
Article  3  of  Dingley  Tariff.  Does  not  benefit  Russia 
much,  but  serves  her  as  an  excuse.  The  plenipoten 
tiaries  are  coming  down  to  the  hard  nuts  to  crack,  and 
unless  Japan  gives  way  now  in  certain  matters  peace 
will  not  come  about.  Each  appears  to  be  firm  and 
unyielding. 

" August  18.  —  Norway  votes  368,200  to  184  in 
favour  of  secession. 

"  German  Ambassador  calls  to  learn  how  peace  is 
progressing. 

"  To-day  the  Austrian  Ambassador  lunched  with 
the  Emperor  and  Empress  at  Peterhof .  In  conversa 
tion  with  Hohenlohe,  their  military  attache,  the  Tsar 
said  that  the  Japanese  were  evidently  trying  to  humil 
iate  Russia  in  endeavouring  to  limit  his  naval  strength 
in  the  East  and  asking  for  the  interned  vessels  in  neu 
tral  ports.  He  added  that  he  would  never  make  a 
peace  that  would  require  an  indemnity  to  be  paid  or 
the  giving  up  of  Russian  territory.  Cabled  this  to  the 
President.  Called  on  Minister  of  Finance  to  corrob 
orate  the  fact  that  discriminating  duties  will  be 
removed. 

fe  August  19.  —  To-day  the  Tsar  announced  the 
plan  for  a  national  assembly  with  full  particulars,  — 
this  should  prove  a  great  event  in  Russia's  history  and 
is  a  tremendous  step  forward,  besides  being  a  decided 
victory  for  the  reformists  throughout  Russia.  Call  on 
Lamsdorff.  He  seemed  quite  pleased  with  the  fish 


196  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

that  I  had  sent  him  and  which  I  got  at  Imatra.1  Was 
much  delighted  with  the  impression  and  success  that 
Witte  had  made  in  America. 

'  The  Russian  plenipotentiaries  arriving  with  full 
powers  and  the  Japanese  with  limited  powers  was  a 
great  surprise  and  made  a  good  impression.  Cabled 
the  Department  that  Witte  had  been  authorized  by  the 
Tsar  to  announce  to  the  President  the  removal  of  the 
discriminating  duties.  Will  probably  wait  until  he  can 
announce  it  personally  to  the  President. 

"August  21.  —  The  project  of  the  national  as 
sembly  which  is  now  assured  has  not  aroused  any  en 
thusiasm  in  St.  Petersburg.  In  some  of  the  foreign 
papers  there  is  criticism  of  the  limited  scope  of  the 
parliament,  but  it  should  be  remembered  that  there 
are  99,000,000  of  illiterates  in  Russia.  They  must  first 
show  their  ability  to  legislate  before  their  powers  are 
too  large.  As  the  Emperor  said,  *  Experience  will 
show  what  is  required.'  Play  tennis  at  Krestovsky 
with  Grand  Duke  Boris,  Furstenberg,  and  Hohenlohe. 
Lady  Hardinge  goes  back  to  St.  P.  with  me  in  my 
auto,  and  we  arrange  to  go  to  the  review  next  morn 
ing.  Dine  at  the  Spanish  Embassy  with  Duke  and 
Duchess  de  Arcos;  she  was  born  Laurie.  Dinner  was 
given  for  Count  Cassini." 

The  diary  of  August  22  and  23  is  filled  with  the 
record  of  Meyer's  face-to-face  dealings  with  the  Tsar, 
under  cabled  instructions  from  President  Roosevelt, 

i  A  few  days  of  salmon-fishing  were  described  in  the  diary,  in  passages 
omitted  here. 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  197 

on  the  conclusion  of  peace  by  the  Portsmouth  Confer 
ence.  Meyer's  part  in  all  this  enterprise  was  an  indis 
pensable  element  in  its  success.  It  is  only  fair  to  say 
that  without  his  admirable  conduct  of  the  negotiations 
in  St.  Petersburg  the  work  for  which  President  Roose 
velt  so  justly  received  the  plaudits  of  the  world  could 
hardly  have  been  accomplished.  This  was  indeed  the 
opinion,  and  the  testimony,  of  the  best-informed  in 
Russia  at  the  time.  Again  a  letter  to  the  President 
affords  the  more  finished  record  of  these  momentous 
days. 

To  President  Roosevelt 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  August  25,  1905. 

MY  DEAR  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

I  cabled  at  midnight  on  the  23rd  the  outcome  of  my 
audience  with  the  Tsar.  Your  cabled  instructions  reached  me 
at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  (Tuesday)  the  22nd,  but  only 
one-sixth  of  the  message.  The  rest  was  held  up  for  nearly  two 
hours.  Of  course  I  am  ignorant  whether  it  was  sent  piece 
meal  or  all  at  once  from  Oyster  Bay.  I  have  strong  suspicions 
that  this  was  done  here  designedly.  It  was  known  that  I  was 
going  early  Tuesday  morning  to  the  manoeuvres  with  the  Belos- 
selskys,  at  a  place  between  Peterhof  and  Tsarskoe  Selo,  to 
which  none  of  the  military  attaches  had  been  invited  this  year. 
The  Emperor  was  to  be  present,  and  we  were  to  lunch  with  the 
Grand  Duke  Vladimir.  Just  enough  of  the  message  was 
brought  to  me  from  the  cable  office  to  show  me,  after  translat 
ing  it,  that  it  was  of  great  importance  and  impossible  for  me 
to  leave  before  the  receipt  of  the  balance  of  the  cable.  I 
therefore  wrote  a  note  explaining  why  I  could  not  get  away, 
and  that  I  was  asking,  through  Lamsdorff,  for  an  audience  at 


198  GEORGE  TON  L.  MEYER 

once.  I  begged  the  Grand  Duke  Vladimir  to  use  his  judgment 
in  showing  this  to  the  Emperor,  which  I  learned  afterwards 
he  did. 

It  was  unfortunate  that  the  entire  cable  was  not  given 
to  me  at  eight  o'clock,  as  I  then  should  have  had  time  to 
translate  it  and  leave  for  the  manoeuvres,  where  I  should  have 
seen  the  Emperor  immediately  after  my  arrival,  without  any 
formal  appointment  and  before  any  of  the  war  party  or  any 
of  the  bureaucracy  had  had  time  to  know  the  contents  of  your 
dispatch,  or  to  have  warned  the  Emperor  thereof,  because,  you 
know,  they  have  our  code.  You  may  think  me  over-suspicious 
of  the  bureaucracy's  methods,  but  I  think  when  we  next  meet 
I  can  satisfy  you  that  I  have  good  reasons.  As  it  was,  they 
had  a  conference  at  Peterhof  that  night,  Tuesday,  over  your 
cable,  Lamsdorff  never  getting  back  to  St.  Petersburg  until 
eleven  P.M.,  and  he  even  telephoned  me  that  evening  at  half- 
past  nine  from  Peterhof  that  my  audience  was  for  four  P.M. 
the  next  day.  It  was  very  evident  to  me  in  the  interview  that 
the  Tsar  was  familiar  with  the  cable,  for  he  knew  just  where 
to  turn  in  my  translation  for  the  phrase  "  substantial  sum." 
He  was  absolutely  prepared  for  certain  questions,  and  seemed 
at  a  loss  and  even  perplexed  at  other  unexpected  ones.  He 
appeared  to  me  this  time  as  a  man  of  no  force,  without  any 
breadth  of  mind;  he  has  the  Russian  capacity  of  passing  by 
misfortunes  that  have  taken  place  and  seeing  things  in  the 
future  as  he  would  have  them,  and  instead  of  reasoning,  resorts 
to  the  subterfuge  that  his  conscience  tells  him  that  he  must 
do  thus. 

On  my  arrival  at  the  Emperor's  brick  cottage  in  the  park 
of  Peterhof,  I  was  instantly  shown  into  his  study,  where  he 
received  me.  From  the  windows  one  could  have  thrown  a  stone 
into  the  waters  of  the  Gulf  of  Finland,  and  as  we  sat  at  the 
table,  I  could  see  Kronstadt  in  the  distance. 


j.905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  199 

I  went  through  the  form  of  reading  your  cable  instruc 
tions,  and  then  the  Emperor  read  me  a  part  of  his  telegram 
sent  that  morning  to  the  Kaiser,  saying  that,  much  as  he 
wanted  peace,  it  must  be  an  honourable  one  for  Russia  and 
therefore  he  could  not  give  up  Russian  territory,  or  pay  a 
war-indemnity  in  any  form.  The  Tsar  then  remarked  that  it 
was  quite  a  coincidence  that  each  time  I  came  to  see  him  he 
had  had  a  telegram  from  the  German  Emperor  (in  their  pri 
vate  code)  urging  him  to  make  peace. 

I  discussed  Sakhaline  and  the  payment  of  a  "  substantial 
sum,"  from  all  points  of  view.  He  even  got  out  the  map  and 
I  believe,  if  I  had  managed  to  have  seen  him  before  he  had 
any  conference,  I  would  have  obtained  from  him,  not  an  exces 
sive  amount,  but  a  liberal  amount  in  payment  as  purchase 
money.  He  acted  to  me  as  though  he  had  made  a  promise, 
or  committed  himself  previously,  not  to  pay  for  Sakhaline. 
When  I  asked  him  to  realize  that  possession  was  nine  points 
of  the  law,  and  that  the  entire  island  of  Sakhaline  would  be 
come  Japanese  territory,  commanding  the  entrance  to  the 
Amur  River,  if  division  was  not  accepted,  he  answered  that 
the  straits  were  frozen  over  in  winter  and  that  troops  could 
cross  over  on  the  ice,  —  "  and  be  surrounded  by  the  Japanese 
fleet,"  I  replied,  "  after  the  ice  breaks."  He  acknowledged  it 
might  take  twenty  years  before  they  could  bring  a  Russian 
navy  up  to  a  formidable  point  in  every  respect. 

The  Tsar  next  took  the  ground  that  a  division  would 
only  be  a  constant  source  of  irritation  and  strife,  and  if  peace 
was  not  to  be  a  lasting  and  durable  one,  it  was  much  better, 
sad  as  it  might  be,  to  continue  war  and  finally  make  a  lasting 
peace,  even  if  in  the  interim  they  should  lose  territory,  which 
he  felt  sure  in  the  end  they  would  win  back,  as  Japan's  re 
sources  were  such  that  they  could  not  carry  on  the  war  indefi 
nitely,  continually  getting  further  from  their  base  of  supplies. 


200  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

I  begged  him  to  turn  to  the  map  of  the  New  England  States 
and  showed  him  how  the  natural  boundary-line  was  the  St. 
Lawrence  River,  yet  the  actual  boundary-line  was  an  imaginary 
one  to  the  south  and  east  of  it.  Nevertheless,  since  the  treaty 
had  been  signed,  we  had  had  no  disturbances  over  it,  which 
seemed  to  make  quite  an  impression  upon  him. 

His  Majesty  having  agreed  to  the  division  of  Sakhaline, 
on  the  ground  that  the  lower  half  was  originally  Japanese 
territory,1  I  struggled  for  a  "  substantial  sum."  This  he  said 
"  was  simply  a  different  form  of  paying  a  war-indemnity  to 
Japan.  He  knew  and  realized  that,  after  the  war,  the  Japanese 
would  need  money.  "  I  have  always  felt  that  they  commenced 
the  war  in  a  manner  which  was  open  to  a  good  deal  of  criticism. 
Russia  is  not  a  vanquished  nation.  The  Japanese  are  making 
claims  not  based  alone  on  their  victories,  but  as  though  they 
were  at  the  gates  of  my  Capitol.  Why  have  they  not  attacked 
the  army  for  nearly  four  months?  They  are  also  banking  on 
the  internal  disturbances  for  compelling  us  to  pay  a  war- 
indemnity,  so  as  to  obtain  peace  for  the  purpose  of  settling 
our  troubles  within  the  Empire.  I  believe,  now,  that  it  has 
come  down  to  a  question  of  money,  the  people  will  prefer  to 
have  the  money  used  in  their  country  rather  than  in  Japan, 
and  will  show  their  loyalty  in  supporting  my  actions,  and  if 
necessary  I  will  go  to  the  front  myself  and  join  my  army." 

When  I  called  his  attention  to  the  fact  that  Japan  was 
actually  in  possession  of  Sakhaline  and  could  hardly  be  ex 
pected  to  give  up  half  of  it  without  at  least  full  payment  of 
its  real  value,  he  asked :  "  But  how  can  that  be  ascertained  ?  " 
My  reply  was :  by  negotiation  through  his  plenipotentiaries  at 

i  Meyer  wrote  in  his  diary,  August  23 :  "  As  we  had  the  map  in  f rpnt 
of  us,  and  I  called  to  his  attention  how  important  the  upper  half  [of 
Sakhaline]  was  to  Russia,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Amur,  and  having 
proved  to  him  that  the  northern  half  was  more  Japanese  territory,  his 
torically,  than  Russian,  as  it  had  been  Japanese  previous  to  1870,  there 
fore  it  was  not  really  Russian  territory  more  than  Port  Arthur,  it  could 
consistently  go  to  the  Japanese." 


1905}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  201 

Portsmouth.  In  my  second  cable  I  touched  on  this,  and  inti 
mated  that  there  was  a  possibility  in  this  direction.  The  con 
ditions  under  which  the  Tsar  would  make  peace,  at  the  end  of 
my  two-hours'  audience,  I  cabled  in  my  first  dispatch. 

The  Emperor's  manner  throughout  the  entire  time  was 
cordial  and  agreeable,  and  he  instructed  me  to  cable  how  much 
he  appreciated  the  spirit  that  had  prompted  you  and  also  the 
efforts  that  you  had  made,  in  which  he  appeared  to  be  abso 
lutely  sincere. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  feeling  in  Russia  has  gained 
ground  that  it  has  come  down  to  a  question  of  indemnity,  or 
a  matter  of  roubles,  as  they  say  here,  all  the  other  points 
being  settled  or  in  such  state  that  they  can  be  solved.  In  one 
of  my  previous  letters  I  stated  that  when  it  came  down  to  a 
matter  of  roubles,  there  was  no  question  as  to  Russia's 
patriotism.  In  our  presidential  campaign  after  the  McKinley 
tariff,  the  Democrats,  as  you  remember,  made  the  campaign 
on  the  issue  that  the  people's  pockets  were  going  to  suffer, 
and  the  Democrats  won  but,  to  be  sure  on  misrepresentation, 
but  the  Republicans  had  not  the  time  to  prove  the  contrary. 
Now  the  war  party  here  are  in  a  fair  way  of  winning  over  the 
people  by  showing  that  if  a  war-indemnity  has  to  be  paid,  it 
will  have  to  come  out  of  them  and  will  prove  a  heavy  extra 
burden,  which  in  the  end  will  only  be  used  against  them  and 
the  country  by  the  Japanese. 

As  to  the  discriminating  tariff,  which  I  expect  to  hear 
any  day  Witte  has  announced  to  you  is  to  be  removed,  the 
inside  history  is  as  follows :  The  Minister  of  Finance  agreed 
that  in  view  of  the  United  States  Government's  offer  to  take 
up  the  consideration  of  a  commercial  agreement  under  Article  3 
of  the  Dingley  Tariff,  the  Russian  Government  would  recom 
mend  removal  of  the  discriminating  duties  in  anticipation  of 
the  above  agreement.  He  wanted,  however,  to  await  Witte's 


202  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

return,  as  a  courtesy  to  a  former  Minister  of  Finance  who 
had  put  on  these  duties  and  who  might  want  to  be  heard  in 
opposition.  After  I  saw  what  a  splendid  reception  Witte  had 
received  in  America,  and  how  much  he  seemed  to  be  pleased  by 
it,  I  suggested  to  Mr.  Kokovtzoff  to  cable  Witte  for  an  expres 
sion  of  his  opinion,  as  I  felt  that  he  would  be  less  likely  to 
oppose  the  removal  at  the  height  of  his  popularity;  and  so 
it  turned  out,  as  he  cabled  in  reply,  withdrawing  all  opposition. 

I  am  enclosing  to  you  various  extracts  from  several  Rus 
sian  papers,  showing  a  great  change  of  sentiment  and  that 
they  are  finally  appreciating  the  spirit  and  motive  that 
prompted  your  action. 

Your  second  cable  instructing  me  to  make  it  clear  to  His 
Majesty  concerning  the  retrocession  of  North  Sakhaline,  and 
that  the  amount  could  be  settled  by  further  negotiation,  I 
'orwarded  at  once,  but  as  yet  have  had  no  acknowledgment. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  Mr.  President, 

Respectfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 

P.S.  If  the  bankers  should  refuse  to  loan  Japan  any  more 
money  in  case  of  war,  as  the  French  bankers  some  months  ago 
did  with  Russia,  peace  will  of  necessity  be  made. 

In  writing  on  the  same  day,  August  25,  to  his 
wife,  Meyer  referred  again  to  the  private  correspond 
ence  between  the  Kaiser  and  the  Tsar:  "It  is  rather 
remarkable  that  since  I  have  been  here  I  have  seen 
the  Emperor  three  times,  and  between  these  meetings 
there  has  been  a  period  of  two  months.  He  opened 
the  conversation  hy  saying:  c  It  is  rather  a  coincidence 
that  each  time  you  have  been  to  see  me,  I  have  had 
a  telegram  from  the  German  Emperor  in  relation  to 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA 

your  visit.'  He  said:  *  You  know  we  have  a  special 
code  and  correspond  directly.'  In  his  last  dispatch 
the  Kaiser  strongly  urged  on  the  Tsar  peace.  I  men 
tion  this  to  show  how  the  newspapers  have  misrepre 
sented  the  German  Emperor  in  his  attitude  on  this 
war  for  the  last  year." 

For  a  few  days  more  there  was  a  lively  interchange 
of  cable  messages  between  Meyer  and  President 
Roosevelt  regarding  the  possible  modification  of  the 
terms  of  peace  to  which  the  Tsar  had  consented.  Then 
the  following  letter  was  written :  - 

To  President  Roosevelt 

1  ST.  PETERSBURG,  August  29,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  ME.  PRESIDENT,  — 

Monday  night  at  eleven  o'clock  the  Associated  Press  rep 
resentative  called  me  up  on  the  telephone  and  read  me  a  tele 
gram  which  had  just  come  to  hand,  stating  that  you  had  been 
authorized  on  behalf  of  Japan  to  waive  all  claims  of  any  war- 
indemnity  and  to  cede  back  to  Russia  the  northern  half  of 
Sakhaline,  the  redemption  price  to  be  left  to  the  arbitration 
of  a  mixed  commission,  following  the  precedent  Great  Britain 
established  in  the  Dogger  Bank  incident.  I  wired  you  at  once 
asking  if  this  was  authentic,  and  if  the  proposed  commission, 
in  determining  the  price  of  Sakhaline,  would  be  absolutely  re 
lieved  from  taking  into  consideration  Japan's  war  expenses. 
I  thought  this  important  to  know,  because  it  has  not  been  so 
understood  by  the  Tsar.  If  I  had  been  authorized  to  say  that 
Japan  waived  all  claims  of  a  war-indemnity  and  that,  in 
deciding  upon  a  price  for  the  northern  half  of  Sakhaline, 
Japan's  war  expenses  were  not  to  be  taken  into  consideration, 
but  merely  the  strategic  and  land  value,  I  believe  I  could  have 


204  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

pulled  off  peace  with  the  Emperor  on  the  23rd  of  August ;  be 
cause,  after  he  absolutely  refused  to  pay  a  "  substantial  sum," 
I  tried  to  commit  him  to  the  maximum  amount  which  he  would 
give,  and  after  that  failed,  to  agree  to  pay  the  real  value  of 
Sakhaline.  It  was  then  that  he  turned  to  me  and  inquired  if 
I  was  asking  that  officially,  under  instructions.  I  replied  that 
I  had  no  instructions  other  than  those  contained  in  the  cable 
which  I  had  read  him,  but  that  I  was  endeavouring  to  find  out 
exactly  what  he  could  and  would  do,  in  order  to  give  you  some 
thing  to  work  upon,  as  your  object  was  to  find  a  way  out  of 
the  present  impasse.  Immediately  after,  he  remarked :  "  How 
can  the  value  be  ascertained?"  This  information  I  cabled  you 
through  Adee,  in  order  to  use  the  secret  code. 

I  am  enclosing  you  an  extract  of  an  article  on  the  finan 
cial  condition  of  Japan,  which  is  supposed  to  have  caused 
Russia  to  act  so  decidedly  and  firmly  in  refusing  to  pay  any 
war-indemnity.  It  was  originally  placed  before  the  Govern 
ment  here  by  a  French  banker,  who  had  been  much  in  Japan 
and  was  familiar  with  conditions  there.  He  was  presented  to 
the  Foreign  Office  by  Monsieur  Bompard,  the  French  Ambas 
sador.  There  is  also  an  article  of  the  same  purport,  in  the 
September  Scribner's. 

The  difficulty  has  been  that,  while  both  Russia  and  Japan 
are  desirous  of  peace,  each  has  felt,  aside  from  any  victories 
or  defeats,  that  they  have  the  other  at  a  disadvantage,  Japan 
believing  that  Russia  would  be  forced  to  sign  peace  and  pay 
a  war-indemnity  on  account  of  the  internal  disturbances,  while 
Russia,  on  the  other  hand,  thinks  that  financial  ruin  is  staring 
Japan  in  the  face  if  she  continues  the  war. 

"  Admiral  Birileff,  when  he  returned  last  month  to  St. 
Petersburg,  repeated  to  the  Tsar  that  he  had  found  Linevich's 
army  in  splendid  condition,  and  that  in  his  belief  there  was  no 
necessity  at  this  moment  for  peace,  and  certainly  not  to  pay 


ms\  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  205 

an  indemnity.     This  had  a  great  effect  on  His  Majesty,  as 
the  Admiral  is  considered  a  conservative  man  of  good  judgment. 
Believe  me,  my  dear  Mr.  President, 

1  Respectfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 


P.S.  August  SO. — This  letter  I  dictated  before  leaving  the 
Chancery  late  yesterday  afternoon.  Last  evening  at  ten 
o'clock  I  received  a  telegram  from  Thompson,  Associated  Press 
representative  at  New  Castle,  stating :  "  Peace  concluded," 
which  was  confirmed  shortly  afterwards  by  a  dispatch  from 
Melville  Stone  to  the  press  agent  here. 

I  immediately  wired,  congratulating  you  and  the  world 
upon  your  great  achievement.  You  have  probably  saved  the 
lives  of  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  men  and  have  placed  humanity 
under  a  lasting  debt  of  gratitude  to  you.  Your  success  is  also 
most  gratifying,  as  the  press  representatives  here  on  the  Con 
tinent  have  all  prophesied  that  you  had  undertaken  the  im 
possible. 

G.  v.  L.  M. 

"  August  SO.  —  Mr.  Stead,  of  the  London  Review 
of  Reviews,  called  on  me  this  morning  and  I  had  an 
exceedingly  interesting  conversation  with  him  about 
the  Tsar  and  the  Duma  and  what  it  may  accomplish 
for  Russia.  Asked  him  to  dine  with  me  to-morrow. 

"Dined  at  the  British  Embassy;  about  the  same 
people  as  were  there  last  time.  Asked  Sir  Charles  to 
cable  to  Japan  to  their  minister,  to  find  out  the  name 
of  the  French  banker  that  came  from  Japan  and  gave 
to  the  Russian  Government  the  condition  of  Japan's 
finances  and  caused  the  Tsar  to  be  so  firm  against  an 


206  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

indemnity,  knowing  Japan's  needs  and  [that  she  was] 
therefore  unable  to  continue  the  war  for  a  long 
period. 

"August  31.  —  Mr.  Stead  dined  with  me  last 
night,  told  me  of  his  interview  with  Alexander  III, 
and  how  he  showed  the  British  public  that  he  was  a 
peace  Emperor;  also  described  his  work  at  the  first 
peace  conference. 

"  The  Russians  are  already  beginning  to  say  that, 
if  they  had  only  held  out,  they  would  have  got  the 
whole  of  Sakhaline;  also  regretting  that  they  did  not 
have  one  more  battle,  as  they  say  this  time  they  would 
have  defeated  the  Japanese.  Yet  the  evidence  of  all 
the  military  officers  who  are  with  the  army  from  for 
eign  countries  is  to  the  contrary.  Prince  Hohenlohe, 
the  Austrian  military  attache,  says  he  does  not  want 
to  read  Russian  papers  for  a  week  as  they  will  now 
for  the  first  time  be  winning  battles!  The  President, 
while  he  has  won  the  admiration  of  the  world  by  his 
actions,  must  not  expect  gratitude  from  the  Russians, 

as  they  will  say  they  would  have  won  but  for  him." 

i 

A  portion  of  a  letter  of  August  31  to  Mrs.  Meyer 
touches  thus  upon  the  terms  of  peace  and  Meyer's 
part  in  securing  them :  — 

In  fact  the  terms  accepted  were  those  I  obtained  from  the 
Emperor  in  my  memorable  audience  of  the  23rd,  and  in  regard 
to  which,  two  days  after,  on  a  further  appeal  from  the  Presi 
dent,  he  again  stated  through  Count  Lamsdorff  that  the  terms 
which  he  had  given  to  me  personally,  and  with  which  I  was 
thoroughly  acquainted,  were  his  ultimatum.  At  the  Emperor's 


.IMS]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  207 

request,  I  had  written  them  out  the  next  morning  and  signed 
them,  forwarding  them  through  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs, 
who  told  me  the  next  day  that  the  Emperor  was  very  much 
pleased,  for  the  reason  that  they  agreed  with  his  understanding 
to  a  word.  He  had  at  first  asked  me  to  write  them  down  before 
leaving  his  presence;  but  as  it  was  so  late,  he  expressed  his 
confidence  in  me  by  saying  it  would  do  if  I  would  send  them 
down  the  next  morning.  It  was  a  responsibility  after  I  left, 
which  I  almost  regretted  having  accepted,  because  it  was  so 
easy  to  make  a  slip  in  a  word  or  meaning,  even  with  the  best 
intentions  and  care. 

There  were  no  demonstrations  of  any  kind  here  on  the 
arrival  of  the  news,  any  more  than  there  were  when  it  became 
universally  known  that  Rodjestvensky's  fleet  had  been  de 
stroyed.  Thompson,  of  the  Associated  Press,  was  very  nice 
and  cabled  me  the  news  instantly  from  New  Castle,  N.  H., 
which  I  found  on  my  desk  as  soon  as  I  got  home.  I  have  also 
had  cables  of  congratulation  from  Robert  Bacon,  Count 
Scheibler,  Charles  R.  Flint,  Frank  Appleton,  and  others. 

After  the  achievement  of  peace,  Meyer  had  not 
long  to  wait  for  the  conge  he  greatly  desired  for  the 
purpose  of  joining  his  family  in  America.  A  few 
passages  from  the  diary,  and  a  letter  to  President 
Roosevelt,  will  complete  the  record  of  the  months  in 
St.  Petersburg  during  which  it  fell  to  him  to  perform 
one  of  his  most  distinguished  pieces  of  public  service: 

"  September  4-  —  Dine  with  the  Grand  Duke  and 
Grand  Duchess  Vladimir.  .  .  . 

'  The  dinner  was  very  simple.  I  took  the  Duchess 
in;  the  Belosselskys,  Hohenlohe,  Grand  Duke  Andre, 
two  ladies-in-waiting,  and  A.D.C. 


208  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

"  The  Grand  Duchess  again  said  how  pleased  she 
was  about  peace,  but  the  young  lady-in-waiting  on  my 
right  mentioned  how  interested  she  had  been  in  my 
work,  yet  she  wished  peace  had  not  come  now,  as  she 
felt  Russia  had  been  disgraced  and  discredited  before 
the  world,  and  at  this  moment  she  should  have  made 
one  more  effort  to  redeem  her  reputation  and  her 
prestige  before  the  world.  This  fairly  represents  the 
feelings  of  a  great  many  Russians  in  St.  Petersburg. 
Reports  are  coming,  however,  from  inland  cities  and 
towns  showing  the  relief  and  satisfaction  that  peace 
has  been  concluded  and  war  finally  ended. 

"September  6.  —  Baron  d'Aehrenthal,  Austrian 
Ambassador,  lunched  with  me  and  congratulated  me 
upon  the  successful  part  that  I  had  played  in  the  peace 
issue.  Count  and  Countess  Trauttmansdorff  also 
came.  They  are  to  go  to  Berlin  in  October. 

"  Called  on  Countess  Kleinmichel,  my  landlady. 
She  is  at  the  Hotel  Europa  and  leaves  to-night  for 
Paris.  She  remarked  that  peace  was  a  great  blessing 
and  much  needed  by  the  country  after  all  that  had 
happened.  She  knew,  she  said,  the  real  feeling  as 
she  had  been  travelling  through  it.  Called  at  Lams- 
dorff's  and  congratulated  him  that  Witte  had  been 
appointed  through  his  efforts.  Seemed  very  happy 
over  the  issue,  and  that  the  country  was  beginning  to 
appreciate  it. 

"  Called  on  Mme.  Melegari,  the  Italian  Ambas 
sadress. 

ff  September  7.  —  Spring-Rice  called  this  morning 
at  10  o'clock.  Said  W.  T.  Stead  dined  with  him,  was 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  209 

most  complimentary  about  the  Emperor  and  myself. 
Spring-Rice  was  delighted  at  the  President's  success, 
and  also  for  the  part  that  I  had  taken  in  it.  He  still 
sees  a  great  spectre  in  the  German  Emperor,  and 
thinks  Germany  wanted  to  force  France  either  to  be 
come  her  ally  or  to  fight.  Rouvier,  now  Prime  Min 
ister,  says  he  will  give  up  Morocco  rather  than  have 
war  with  Germany,  as  their  ally,  Russia,  is  too  weak 
now  to  be  of  any  assistance. 

"  September  8.  —  A  little  after  midnight  last  night 
received  a  cable  granting  me  leave  of  absence,  with 
privilege  to  visit  the  United  States.  Started  Gennaro 
packing  this  morning,  and  shall  try  to  get  off  to 
morrow  night  by  the  Nord  Express  to  Berlin,  where 
I  shall  stop  over  for  a  day  or  two. 

"Pouch  arrives  from  Berlin.  Very  busy  at  the 
Chancery  as  I  am  getting  the  courier  to  leave  again 
to-night. 

"  Go  out  to  Krestovsky  late  in  the  afternoon,  to 
get  some  exercise  and  tennis  with  Princess  Susie  and 
Prince  Hohenlohe,  and  Bliss.  Baroness  Ramsay  joins 
us  later." 


To  President  Roosevelt 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  September  8,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

I  received  last  night  a  cable  from  the  State  Department 
granting  me  leave  of  absence  with  privilege  of  visiting  America, 
for  which  I  desire  to  thank  you,  as  there  are  several  private 
matters  which  require  my  attention. 


210  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

All  the  Ambassadors  are  now  asking  for  leave,  and  as  one 
lady  said,  " It  will  be  the  reign  of  the  Charges  <T Affaires" 

St.  Petersburg  (where  the  war  party  predominates)  was 
not  at  first  wholly  pleased  that  peace  had  been  concluded;  but 
now  that  reports  have  come  in  from  different  parts  of  Russia 
showing  satisfaction  at  the  result,  the  bureaucracy  is  more 
reconciled.  Many  of  those  who  had  no  friends  or  relations  at 
the  front  still  feel  that  one  more  attempt  should  have  been  made 
to  redeem  the  reputation  of  the  Russian  army.  Lamsdorff, 
however,  for  once  tells  me  frankly  that  he  is  delighted  and  con 
tented.  There  is  a  strong  friendship  between  him  and  Witte, 
which  has  lasted  for  many  years. 

There  are  serious  troubles  in  Baku,  and  it  is  rumoured 
that  there  were  disturbances  yesterday  again  in  Moscow,  due 
to  strikes;  but  I  can  learn  nothing  official,  owing  to  the 
censorship. 

I  was  more  than  pleased  to  hear  of  the  appointment  of 
Robert  Bacon  as  Assistant  Secretary  of  State,  in  place  of 
Loomis.  Bob  is  a  first-class  fellow,  conscientious,  painstaking, 
and  reliable. 

I  hope  to  sail  September  27th  on  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  II, 
and  on  my  arrival  shall  report  to  you  at  once,  either  at  Oyster 
Bay  or  Washington,  as  the  case  may  be. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  Mr.  President, 

Respectfully  yours, 

1  G.  v.  L.  MEYEB. 

"September  9.  —  Write  my  200th  dispatch  since 
I  arrived,  on  the  7th  of  April,  in  St.  Petersburg. 
This  does  not  include  my  weekly  letter  to  the  Presi 
dent,  posting  him  as  to  the  conditions  and  course  of 
events  in  Russia.  Ever  since  Mr.  Hay's  death  the 
President  has  been  his  own  Minister  of  Foreign  Af- 


MR.    MEYER   IN    COSSACK    COSTUME 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  211 

fairs,  often  cabling  me  and  signing  his  own  name. 
The  last  part  of  the  negotiations  I  cabled  direct  to 
President  Roosevelt  at  Oyster  Bay. 

"  Leave  the  Kleinmichel  house  in  charge  of  a 
butler,  chef,  chamber-maid,  and  an  under-man,  at  an 
expense  of  278  roubles  per  month.  Take  the  six 
o'clock  Nord  Express  for  Berlin.  Princess  Susie 
Belosselsky  and  her  sister-in-law  Princess  Kotschoubey 
on  the  train,  with  their  children.  Quite  a  number  of 
people  came  down  to  see  us  off." 

The  diary  of  Meyer's  few  days  in  Germany  on 
his  way  home  to  America  is  notable  for  its  long  ac 
count  of  an  illuminating  interview  with  the  Kaiser. 
It  records  also  his  report  to  the  Japanese  Minister  in 
Berlin  upon  the  important  work  of  the  American 
Embassy  in  Russia,  —  not  hitherto  mentioned  among 
the  service  performed  by  Mr.  Meyer,  —  in  caring  for 
the  Japanese  prisoners  of  war.  It  follows  him  to 
Munich  for  a  brief  visit  to  his  friends,  the  Somssichs; 
it  shows  him,  as  often  on  his  travels,  seizing  oppor 
tunities  for  exercise  at  golf;  it  notes  his  appointment 
to  meet  and  lunch  with  the  Kaiser  at  Homburg  on 
Saturday  the  16th.  That  day  is  recorded  minutely. 

"September  16.  —  Reached  Homburg  at  8.45  and 
went  direct  to  Ritter's  Park  Hotel.  A  few  minutes 
after  I  got  to  my  rooms,  which  were  the  ones  the 
King  of  England  always  occupied  when  he  came  here 
as  Prince  of  Wales,  a  messenger  arrived  from  the 
Ober-Hofmarshal,  Freiherr  von  Lyncker,  enclosing  an 
invitation  to  breakfast  at  the  Schloss  at  1  o'clock  and 


212  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

also  granting  me  an  audience  at  12.  This  showed  me 
that  he  wanted  to  have  an  extended  conversation. 

"  I  presented  myself  promptly  at  12,  having  timed 
the  drive  from  Ritter's  very  carefully.  I  was  received 
by  Graf  von  Lyncker,  and  in  a  couple  of  minutes  the 
door  was  thrown  open  and  the  German  Emperor  came 
forward  and  received  me  very  cordially,  saying  he  was 
glad  to  see  me;  then,  laughing,  he  said,  c  If  you  are  not 
dressed  too  well'  (I  had  come  in  frock  coat  and  top 
hat  under  instructions),  'we  will  walk  in  the  garden 
of  the  Schloss  mit  dem  Cedern.'  Then  he  started 
right  off  by  saying,  '  I  want  to  congratulate  the  Presi 
dent  and  you  on  making  peace.' 

" '  Your  Majesty,'  I  replied,  '  I  am  glad  of  the 
opportunity  to  assure  you  that  I  realize  that,  without 
your  assistance  and  active  interest,  it  would  not  have 
been  accomplished.' 

"  I  then  told  him  how  the  Tsar  said  the  last  time, 
that  it  was  quite  a  coincidence  that  each  time  I  came 
to  see  him  he  had  a  telegram  from  the  German  Em 
peror.  The  Emperor  stopped  walking,  laughed,  and 
said,  'It  was  a  remarkable  instance,  was  it  not? 
Would  you  like  to  hear  the  history  of  the  first  part  of 
the  peace  movement,  and  how  I  prepared  the  Tsar's 
mind?  Well,  you  remember  that  his  brother,  the 
Grand  Duke  Michel,  came  to  Berlin  at  the  wedding 
of  the  Crown  Prince?  I  took  him  to  drive,  and  began 
talking  about  the  war  and  asked  him  what  he  thought. 
He  answered  very  quickly,  "  It  ought  to  stop.  The 
condition  of  the  country  is  so  disturbed  that  my 
brother  should  be  able  to  give  it  his  entire  attention. 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  213 

But  the  difficulty  is  to  know  how  to  bring  this  about." 
I  said,  "  England  cannot  do  it,  because  she  is  the 
ally  of  Japan.  France  can't  because  Japan  will  not 
have  it,  as  she  is  your  ally.  I  would  be  considered 
too  interested  a  party.  There  remains  the  President 
of  the  United  States,  Mr.  Roosevelt.  He  is  a  man 
of  his  word,  active,  of  high  ideals,  and  will  have  the 
confidence  of  Japan,  and  they  also  fear  America,  and 
your  brother."  "  But  we  do  not  know  him  well  enough 
to  ask  it,  and  how  is  it  to  be  brought  about?  "  "  Why, 
have  your  brother  send  for  the  President's  Ambas 
sador,  Mr.  Meyer;  I  know  him,  he  is  a  friend  of  the 
President,  and  you  can  depend  on  him."  The  Grand 
Duke  assured  me  that  he  would  not  only  inform  his 
brother,  but  he  would  say  as  well  that  it  was  his 
firm  conviction  that  this  should  be  done  now  and 
quickly. 

'I  informed  your  President  of  this  and  sent  a 
long  letter,  which  I  wrote  myself,  by  the  Grand  Duke, 
to  His  Majesty  the  Tsar,  giving  my  reasons  and  be 
lief  why  it  was  important  and  necessary  to  conclude 
peace  at  the  earliest  possible  moment.' 

"  '  You  know  the  rest,  and  I  congratulate  you  upon 
your  work;  and  express  to  the  President  my  con 
gratulations  upon  the  benefits  he  has  conferred  upon 
the  world  by  his  action.  I  have  written  the  President 
quite  fully  as  to  my  opinions  and  beliefs  as  to  the 
outcome  of  this  war  and  its  probable  results  commer 
cially.  Already  a  part  of  it  has  commenced,  in  the 
formation  of  a  Japanese  trade  syndicate  to  control  and 
extend  their  trade  and  commercial  relations.  All  our 


214  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

trade  will  in  the  end  suffer,  but  England's  most  of  all 
because  they  are  not  as  industrious  and  painstaking 
as  the  Germans  and  neglect  their  work  at  times  for 
sport.  The  trouble  of  it  all  is  this  foolish  alliance, 
which  will  prove  on  each  occasion  to  be  to  Japan's 
advantage.  They  will  also  get  English  capital  to 
exploit  with,  and  with  their  cheap  labour  and  low 
standard  of  requirements  will  conquer  English  for 
eign  competition.' 

"  By  this  time  it  was  after  one  o'clock,  and  I  could 
hear  the  sound  of  voices  of  the  royal  family  and 
their  attendants  through  the  open  windows  on  the 
garden;  but  the  Emperor  started  on  another  turn 
about  the  garden,  talking  continuously.  Lunch  had 
been  fixed  for  1  o'clock,  but  it  was  not  until  1.15  that 
we  entered  the  palace. 

"  In  the  Grand  Salon  there  were  about  forty 
people  waiting  for  us,  including  the  Empress,  the 
Crown  Prince  and  Princess  of  Germany,  the  Crown 
Prince  and  Princess  of  Greece,  the  Prince  and 
Princess  of  Hesse,  the  brother  of  the  Crown  Prince 
of  Greece,  apparently  an  embarrassed  lad,  and  Prince 
Adalbert,  a  charming  young  prince  with  delightful 
manners,  in  the  Navy.  The  Empress  came  forward 
and  greeted  me,  and  I  bowed  and  kissed  her  hand, 
and  she  very  politely  referred  to  my  work  at  St. 
Petersburg,  which  permitted  me  to  say  it  would  have 
been  futile  unless  the  Emperor  William  had  prepared 
the  way,  which  apparently  pleased  her.  Then  the 
Emperor  came  forward  and  asked  me  if  I  had  met 
his  daughter-in-law,  referring  to  the  Crown  Princess, 


1905}          AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  215 

and  presented  me  himself.  She  is  very  tall  and  slight, 
with  charming  manners. 

"  The  Crown  Prince  looked  at  me  with  an  air  as 
much  as  to  say,  '  You  have  kept  lunch  waiting  long 
enough/  He  had  been  playing  tennis,  and  was 
probably  quite  hungry.  The  doors  were  at  that  mo 
ment  thrown  open,  the  Empress  leading  the  way 
alone,  the  princesses  and  ladies-in-waiting  following, 
then  the  Emperor,  the  Crown  Prince,  the  Crown 
Prince  of  Greece;  at  the  same  time  His  Majesty 
turned  and  nodded  for  me  to  follow.  The  Empress 
sat  down,  with  the  Crown  Prince  of  Germany  on  her 
right  and  Crown  Prince  of  Greece  on  her  left.  On 
the  right  of  the  Crown  Prince  was  the  Princess  of 
Hesse,  next  to  her  was  the  Prince  of  Greece,  then 
myself,  and  on  my  right  a  pretty  Grafin,  lady-in- 
waiting  to  the  Empress.  Opposite  to  the  Empress  sat 
the  Emperor,  with  the  Crown  Princess  of  Germany 
on  his  right;  on  the  other  side  of  her  was  Prince 
Adalbert.  On  the  left  of  the  Emperor  was  the 
Crown  Princess  of  Greece,  and  on  her  left  the  Prince 
of  Hesse.  There  were  about  forty  at  table,  including 
General  von  Plessen,  who  went  to  America  with 
Prince  Henry,  and  Hofmarshal  von  Lyncker. 

"  The  breakfast  was  beautifully  served  —  French 
cooking  and  delicious  Moselle  wine.  During  the  lunch 
the  Emperor  looked  across  the  table,  smiled,  and  drank 
my  health.  I  rose  in  my  chair  and  drank  in  return, 
holding  up  my  glass  afterwards,  as  is  the  German 
custom.  After  lunch  the  ladies  retired  to  the  salon, 
and  the  men  stayed  in  the  dining-room,  the  Emperor 


216  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

and  Princes  going  on  the  balcony  and  lighting  their 
cigarettes.  In  about  fifteen  minutes  the  Emperor 
came  back,  beckoned  to  me  and  we  went  down  to  the 
end  of  the  dining-room,  and  going  out  on  the  balcony 
we  stood  there  taking  for  another  hour. 

:t  I  told  his  Majesty  that  the  morning  I  was  to 
have  an  audience  with  the  Tsar  in  connection  with 
the  President's  invitation  to  send  plenipotentiaries,  my 
secretary  informed  [me]  that  Delcasse  had  resigned. 
I  remarked  then,  c  Thank  God !  I  may  now  have  a 
chance  of  getting  the  Tsar  to  accept  the  President's 
invitation  to  the  Peace  Conference.' 

"At  that  the  Emperor  launched  out  and  said 
Delcasse  was  riding  straight  for  war  with  Germany 
or  a  fall,  counting  on  England's  support.  '  I  did  not 
care  anything  about  Morocco,  but  I  was  bound  to 
bring  it  to  an  issue  and  either  force  Delcasse  to  show 
his  hand  or  resign.  Mr.  Bourgeois  went  to  the  Presi 
dent,  Loubet,  and  said,  "  Do  you  realize  that  you  are 
on  the  eve  of  a  war  with  Germany?"  -at  which  the 
President  was  astounded  and  said,  '  What  do  yov 
mean?  You  are  crazy."  "Not  at  all,"  replied  Bour 
geois;  "Delcasse  had  made  his  plans  and,  relying  on 
English  understanding,  is  headed  that  way.  May  I  go 
to  Rouvier  and  call  his  attention  to  the  facts? "  Per 
mission  being  granted,  he  went  to  Rouvier,  who  was 
much  surprised  and  disturbed,  whereupon  he  called  a 
meeting  of  the  Cabinet  and  questioned  Delcasse  as  to 
his  policy,  etc.  Delcasse  showed  indifference  as  to 
German  feeling,  and,  when  asked  as  to  his  policy  as 
to  Morocco,  and  if  it  was  true  he  intended  sending  a 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  217 

fleet  of  ironclads  to  Morocco,  said,  "  Yes; "  and,  when 
asked  if  Germany  should  take  it  as  a  hostile  demon 
stration,  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  spoke  of  the  Eng 
lish  Entente.  As  a  result  of  this,  he  was  not  upheld 
by  Rouvier  and  the  Cabinet.  Delcasse  handed  in  his 
resignation,  going  out  and  slamming  the  door  after 
him.' 

"  The  Emperor  in  part  blames  the  King  of  Eng 
land  for  Delcasse 's  attitude;  said  that  Edward  was 
mixing  up  and  prying  into  things;  had  attempted 
through  the  Emperor  of  Austria  to  break  the  Triple 
Alliance  and  weaken  Germany's  friendship  with  Italy, 
and  had  endeavoured  to  strengthen  his  relationship  with 
Spain  by  offering  the  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Con- 
naught  to  the  King  of  Spain,  which  was  refused. 

"In  addition  to  whatever  strained  relations  may 
exist  between  England  and  Germany,  I  observed  to 
myself  that  it  was  augmented  at  present  by  a  family 
jealousy  between  the  Emperor  and  the  King  of  Eng 
land.  In  the  first  place,  the  Emperor  felt  very  sore 
that  the  King  of  England  came  to  Marienbad  with 
out  calling  on  him,  especially  after  the  papers  had 
announced  it  was  going  to  take  place;  the  King  of 
England  in  a  most  rude  way  told  the  German  Ambas 
sador  that  he  had  no  idea  of  seeing  his  nephew.  The 
Emperor  referred  to  his  going  to  England  for  a  week 
when  Queen  Victoria  died;  and  also,  a  year  ago,  to 
the  splendid  reception  the  King  of  England  had  re 
ceived  at  Kiel  and  Homburg,  which  Edward  said 
could  not  have  been  warmer  if  he  had  been  in  Liver 
pool.  The  King  of  England  had  invited  the  Crown 


218  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

Prince,  when  he  was  engaged,  to  go  to  England,  and 
then  again  lately.  He  had  told  his  son  that  he  could 
not  have  him  accept  an  invitation  from  the  King  when 
that  King  showed  such  rudeness  to  his  father.  How 
ever,  there  would  be  no  war,  as  the  feeling  between  the 
people  of  England  and  Germany  was  better  than  be 
tween  the  rulers. 

"  I  then  had  an  opportunity  to  speak  about  the 
proposed  German  and  American  races  between  the 
Kiel  and  Eastern  Yacht  Club  of  Boston,  for  small 
boats  of  about  thirty  feet,  —  that  it  would  go  far  to 
promote  and  increase  friendly  feeling.  He  was  much 
interested  in  it  and  is  to  take  it  up  with  Admiral 
von  Linden. 

"  It  was  then  that  Prince  Adalbert  came  and 
announced  that  the  Crown  Prince  of  Greece  and  their 
party  were  about  to  leave  in  their  automobile.  We 
all  went  downstairs  and  saw  them  off,  the  Emperor 
presenting  me  to  the  Crown  Princess  of  Greece,  who 
in  turn  congratulated  me  upon  my  work  in  St.  Peters 
burg.  The  Empress  then  bade  me  good-bye,  as  did 
Prince  Adalbert.  The  Emperor  then  shook  me 
warmly  by  the  hand  and  said,  '  Be  sure  and  take  my 
congratulations  to  the  President ; '  asked  after  my  wife 
and  daughters,  and  asked  also  by  what  steamer  I  was 
sailing;  smiled  when  I  said,  'As  always,  by  the  Nord 
Deutscher  line  Kaiser  Wilhelm  II.'  It  was  then 
3.15,  and  I  had  been  there  at  11.45. 

"  I  left  delighted  with  the  attention  and  charming 
hospitality  that  I  had  received  and  much  impressed 
with  the  Emperor's  knowledge  not  only  of  national 


1905}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  219 

affairs,  but  his  grasp  and  intimate  acquaintance  of 
commercial  conditions  throughout  the  world." 

Mr.  Meyer  proceeded  immediately  from  Homburg 
to  Paris,  and  after  a  short  motor  trip  in  northern 
France  with  friends,  sailed  for  home  on  September  27. 
On  the  day  after  landing  he  reported  to  the  President 
in  Washington,  and  wrote  in  his  diary  :- 

ff  October  4-  —  Arrive  in  Washington  at  7  A.M. 
Go  to  the  New  Willard  Hotel,  an  excellent  modern 
hotel,  up  to  date.  I  call  on  Root,  who  is  just  about 
to  take  the  train  for  New  York,  but  wants  me  to 
lunch  with  him  the  next  day.  Called  on  Adee,  who 
was  very  complimentary  about  my  work  at  St.  P. — 
also  Robert  Bacon,  who  has  not  yet  taken  the  oath 
as  Assistant  Secretary  of  State  and  was  having 
Loomis  coach  him;  then  on  Governor  Taft,  who  was 
in  great  spirits. 

"  Lunch  with  the  President  at  1.30.  Admiral 
Bronson  was  there,  and  a  Mr.  Tucker  from  the  South, 
also  Mrs.  Roosevelt.  The  President  was  very  flat 
tering  about  the  work  done  in  St.  Petersburg,  and 
said  that  later  he  wanted  me  to  enter  his  Cabinet,  but 
could  not  say  the  exact  date.  Asked  me  to  come 
round  to  dinner  in  the  evening,  as  he  wanted  to  talk 
further  with  me.  Spent  the  afternoon  with  Robert 
Bacon;  we  called  on  Rosen,  who  seemed  glad  to  see 
me  again.  He  amused  me  by  explaining,  as  all  Rus 
sians  do  now,  how  they  would  have  won  the  next 
battle  if  there  had  been  one! 

"  The  President  that  evening  told  me,  to  my  sur- 


220  GEORGE  YON  L.  MEYER  V90* 

prise,  that  the  Japanese  had  asked  him  to  make  peace 
for  them,  and  that  he  had  from  the  first  told  them 
that  they  could  not  expect  an  indemnity  unless  they 
got  to  Petersburg  or  Moscow.  Said  that  he  had  given 
to  Witte  copies  of  his  letters  to  Kaneko,  and  to  the 
Japanese  copies  of  his  cables  to  the  Tsar  through  me. 
A  very  wise  thing  for  him  to  do. 

"The  President  said  that  he  desired  me  in  his 
Cabinet,  but  could  not  say  which  post  it  would  be, 
possibly  Secretary  of  Navy.  Then  he  asked  me  point 
blank,  '  Tell  me  if  you  think  you  could  fill  the  place 
of  Secretary  of  the  Treasury?'  I  hesitated  and  said 
that  I  should  like  to  talk  it  over  with  some  friends; 
that  it  would  be  conceited  for  me  to  say  right  off  that 
I  could,  yet  I  believed  I  could.  Moody,  he  thought, 
was  going  out  either  next  July  or  a  year  from  March. 
He,  the  President,  wanted  me  to  have  at  least  two 
years  —  it  was  only  right.  I  thanked  him  and  said 
nothing  would  give  me  more  pleasure,  and  that  I 
should  be  very  proud,  naturally,  to  serve. 

"When  I  called  again  on  Taft,  his  first  words 
were,  'Well,  when  are  you  coming  into  the  Cabinet?* 
My  answer  was,  '  I  imagine  when  Moody  decides 
about  his  resigning.'  '  I  do  not  see  any  reason,'  he 
said,  'why  there  should  not  be  two  men  from  one 
state,  certainly  for  a  while.' 

<f  October  5.  —  Breakfast  with  Secretary  Root,  and 
afterwards  we  take  a  drive.  Make  many  suggestions 
to  him  about  improving  the  efficiency  of  our  Diplo 
matic  Corps  abroad  and  the  necessity  of  keeping  the 
Chiefs  of  Mission  better  posted,  the  desirability  of  a 


1905}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  221 

new  code  and  also  a  French  code,  a  uniform  system 
of  keeping  the  books,  and  having  the  Secretaries  serve 
in  the  State  Department  for  a  while  before  going  to 
their  posts,  having  a  special  clerk  who  should  pay  at 
tention  to  collecting  information  and  cabling  the  same, 
etc.  Mr.  Root  is  going  to  try  and  reorganize  the 
State  Department  and  bring  up  the  efficiency." 

During  Meyer's  stay  of  seven  weeks  in  America, 
he  received  many  tokens  of  appreciation  for  what  he 
had  done  in  Russia  —  none  more  gratifying  than  the 
dinner  at  which  sixty  members  of  his  Class  at  Harvard 
did  him  honour.  In  the  unsettled  state  of  Russian 
affairs,  he  would  have  returned  more  promptly  but  for 
the  illness  of  one  of  his  daughters.  About  a  week  be 
fore  sailing  he  paid  a  second  visit  to  Washington, 
recorded  in  his  diary:  — 

fe  November  13.  —  Arrived  in  Washington  at  8.15 
A.M.  Whitney  Warren  *  went  on  with  me.  Received 
word  at  10.15  from  the  White  House  that  the  Presi 
dent  would  see  me  at  once  in  his  office.  Was  very 
cordial  and  really  seemed  glad  to  see  me.  Found 
Governor  Winthrop  2  of  Porto  Rico  with  him  when  I 
entered.  He  at  once  said,  '  I  hope  your  dear  wife  is 
not  put  out  with  me,  but  as,  during  the  Commune, 
the  American  Minister  was  the  only  Chief  there,  so 
I  think  now  you  should  be  there  as  soon  as  possible. 
My  wife  was  ill  when  I  went  to  Cuba,  but  there  come 
times  when  one  has  to  do  one's  duty  and  leave  the 

1  One  of  the  closest  of  Meyer's  friends  in  New  York. 

2  Beekman    Winthrop,  afterwards   Assistant   Secretary   of   the   Navy 
under  Meyer. 


222  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

family,  and  I  realize  that  it  is  awfully  hard  on  the 
wife.'  He  then  asked  after  Julia.  I  informed  him 
that  I  intended  to  sail  on  the  21st  by  the  Kron  Prinz, 
and  consulted  him  as  to  the  advisability  of  stopping  at 
London  and  Berlin,  to  see  in  each  case  the  Minister 
of  Foreign  Affairs,  and  possibly  Emperor  William. 
He  thought  well  of  it,  but  said,  '  Consult  Root.' 

"  Next  went  over  to  the  State  Department.  Root 
also  believed  in  my  getting  in  touch  with  the  Foreign 
Office,  both  in  London  and  Berlin,  but  thought  it 
would  not  do  to  leave  out  France.  Suggested  my 
seeing  if  I  could  not  get  Witte  to  say  something  that 
would  reassure  the  Jewish  element  and  quiet  public 
sentiment.  Realized  that  it  was  a  delicate  matter  for 
us  to  interfere  in  any  way  and  that  certain  Jews  in 
America  were  merely  striving  for  notoriety.  The 
President  had  asked  me  to  dine  at  the  White  House 
at  3  P.M.,  — c  in  old  clothes,  and  we  will  take  a  walk; 
bring  Bob  Bacon  with  you.'  We  assembled  at  3  P.M. 
Bacon,  the  Assistant  Secretary  of  State,  took  Pinchot 
and  myself  in  the  auto,  and  an  African  hunter  and 
Sheldon  went  with  the  President.  We  reach  the  Park 
and  there  we  walked  for  three  hours,  going  over  hills, 
climbing  cliffs  on  which  if  we  had  slipped  we  would 
have  surely  broken  a  leg  or  an  arm,  then  crossing 
brooks,  fields,  and  brushing  through  thick  woods.  We 
got  back  to  the  White  House  after  six  o'clock.' 

"  The  dinner  at  eight  o'clock  was  made  up  of  the 
same  men  who  had  been  on  the  walk,  with  the  addition 
of  Garfield  and  a  Dr.  Wheeler  of  California,  Mrs. 
Roosevelt  and  Miss  Alice  being  away.  The  conversa- 


1905}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  223 

tion  was  most  general  —  big  game,  politics,  diplomacy, 
Russia,  and  railroad  rates.  At  half  past  ten  I  had  to 
leave  to  pack  my  things  as  I  was  going  back  to  New 
York  on  the  11.30  with  Whitney  Warren.  'The  Presi 
dent  on  my  leaving  said, '  Say  to  the  Emperor  that  I  was 
impressed  with  his  combined  wisdom  and  judgment  in 
making  peace,  and  his  decision  to  return  to  Japan  the 
Japanese  part  of  Sakhaline,  without  which  peace  could 
not  have  been  concluded  ' ;  also  that  I  might  say  that  he 
had  told  Takahira  that  in  his  judgment  they  could  not 
expect  Russia  to  pay  an  indemnity." 

On  the  way  back  to  Russia  Meyer  met  with  no 
experiences  more  significant  than  those  encountered  at 
London,  Paris,  and  Berlin  in  fulfilment  of  the  plan 
upon  which  he  had  agreed  with  Secretary  Root.  They 
are  related  in  the  diary. 

"  [London]  November  28.  —  Lunch  with  Mr.  Reid1 
and  his  daughter  at  Dorchester  House.  Some  very  fine 
paintings.  At  2.45  the  Ambassador  and  I  leave  for  the 
Foreign  Office,  to  call  by  appointment  on  Lord 
Lansdowne.  I  found  that  Lansdowne  did  not  see  any 
necessity  of  their  ambassador  hurrying  out  to  St.  P., 
as  there  was  nothing  that  he  could  do.  His  Govern 
ment  was  satisfied  that  the  Russian  Government  Was 
doing  all  that  it  could  to  protect  life  and  property 
of  British  citizens.  He  thought  things  looked  very 
badly,  but  hoped,  as  there  appeared  to  be  no  organized 
leaders,  that  this  revolutionary  movement  would  spend 
its  force.  There  had  been  no  disturbances  of  a  really 

iWhitelaw  Reid,  American  Ambassador  in  London. 


224  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

serious  character  as  yet  in  Petersburg.  They  had 
taken  no  special  precautions  for  their  Embassy.  'As 
to  Sebastopol  and  Odessa,  they  had  arranged  with 
the  Turkish  Government  that  a  government  vessel 
should  go  through  the  Straits  and  rescue  their  na 
tionals  in  case  of  need.  They  had  also  sent  a  naval 
officer  to  superintend  the  embarkation.  Many  of  the 
wives  and  daughters  of  the  factory  hands  had  been 
sent  out  of  the  country  for  safety.  Lord  Lansdowne 
added  that  he  would  be  very  glad  to  have  Spring-Rice 
act  in  concert  with  me. 

"  [Paris]  November  29.  -  •  .  .  .  Call  at  the  Em 
bassy  and  arrange  for  the  four  marines  who  have  arrived 
in  Paris,  and  are  under  the  charge  of  Captain  Smith,  to 
leave  Saturday  on  the  Nord  Express  for  St.  Peters 
burg.  Cable  Root  the  result  of  my  conversation  with 
Lansdowne,  and  wire  Eddy  to  have  the  four  men  met 
at  the  frontier. 

"  Go  at  six  o'clock  to  keep  my  appointment  at  the 
Palais  d'Orsay  with  M.  Rouvier.  Found  him  in  ap 
pearance  older  than  I  expected  and  quite  bent,  but 
quite  frank  and  outspoken.  He  seemed  quite  worried 
by  the  outlook  and  course  of  events  —  France  is  a 
tremendous  holder  of  Russian  securities  —  and  could 
not  understand  the  people's  actions,  what  they  were 
finally  driving  at,  and  where  it  would  end.  He  wanted 
to  congratulate  the  President  of  the  United  States  on 
his  great  achievement  and  was  kind  enough  to  add, 
'  Your  part  also.'  He  added  his  admiration  for  the 
President's  energy  and  spirit,  and  after  saying  he  was 
pleased  to  make  my  acquaintance,  escorted  me  into  the 


1905]          AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  225 

outer  room,  added  that  Mr.  Bompard  would  be 
pleased  to  act  in  concert  with  me. 

"  I  called  on  the  Grand  Duchess  Vladimir,  who 
was  staying  incog  at  the  Continental.  She  had  left 
St.  Petersburg  last  Monday,  and  assured  me  that 
none  of  the  things  at  present  were  exaggerated  about 
the  affairs  in  Russia,  and  was  most  discouraged  about 
the  outlook  or  prospects  of  improvement.  They  had 
all  thought  that  Witte  would  have  a  following.  The 
Grand  Duke  had  resigned,  and  therefore  had  nothing 
more  to  say.  She  had  urged  that  he  come  with  her. 
Thanked  me  for  coming  round,  and  would  like  to  send 
a  letter  by  me. 

"I  asked  the  Grand  Duchess  if  it  was  true  that 
the  Socialists  were  sending  men  in  officers'  uniforms 
into  the  country,  who  in  turn  assembled  the  peasants 
with  their  horses  and  carts  and  then  read  them  the 
Ukase  of  the  Emperor  which  promised  the  division  of 
crown  lands.  Then  they  would  designate  an  estate, 
and  tell  the  peasants  to  go  and  divide  it  up.  When 
they  arrived  there,  the  owner  or  agent  would  say  that 
it  did  not  apply  to  them,  as  it  was  not  crown  lands. 
The  peasants  would  then  say  that  they  had  just  re 
ceived  orders  direct  from  the  Emperor's  agent,  and 
therefore  they  would  seize  the  property;  which  they 
proceeded  to  do,  destroying  and  burning  when  they 
were  opposed.  H.R.H.  the  Duchess  Vladimir  in 
formed  me  it  was  quite  true. 

"  [Berlin]  December  2.  —  Arrive  in  Berlin  at  7.30 
A.M.,  clear  and  cold.  Receive  word  that  Prince  von 
Biilow,  the  Chancellor,  will  receive  me  at  7  P.M.  The 


226  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V905 

first  Secretary,  Mr.  Dodge,1  of  the  American  Embassy, 
notifies  me  that  the  Emperor  cannot  receive  me  until 
after  the  4th,  as  he  is  off  shooting. 

"  The  Russian  Charge  d' Affaires  at  Berlin  came 
to  my  room  in  the  Bristol  to  have  a  private  talk. 
He  said  they  are  quite  discouraged  and  alarmed  ahout 
affairs  in  his  country;  that  the  naval  revolt  had  been 
exaggerated,  but  it  was  serious  enough  any  way.  Said 
his  Emperor  was  kindly  and  well-meaning  but  lacked 
force  and  action.  e  Why,  the  Emperor,  the  other  day 
remarked  that,  "  we  are  having  strange  experiences," 
quite  calmly  and  almost  unconcernedly.'  The  Em 
press,  Mr.  B.  said,  had  an  evil  influence  over  the 
Emperor  and  had  brought  ill  luck  to  his  country. 
They  could  not  find  out  who  was  back  of  the  Socialists 
and  revolutionary  movement,  and  did  not  understand 
who  was  conducting  it.  Witte  had  the  confidence  of 
no  one  except  his  fellows  in  the  bureaucracy. 

"  Lunch  at  the  Bristol  with  Garrett.2 

"  Call  on  von  Biilow  at  7  o'clock,  and  am  received 
in  the  house  which  Bismarck  occupied  in  Wilhelm- 
Strasse.  Bismarck  'would  not  recognize  it,  except  on 
the  outside,  as  Princess  von  Biilow,  who  was  the 
daughter  of  Donna  Laura  Minghetti,  has  given  an 
Italian  touch  to  every  room,  and  as  to  her  salon  — 
you  imagine  yourself  back  in  Rome.  I  had  only  to 
wait  five  minutes,  but  the  Chancellor  sent  even  then  a 
messenger  to  excuse  him  keeping  me  waiting  a  mo 
ment.  He  received  me  very  cordially,  calling  me  by 

iH.  Percival  Dodge. 

2  J.  W.  Garrett,  Second  Secretary  at  the  American  Embassy. 


1905]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  227 

middle  name,  Mr.  von  Lengerke,  as  he  always  has, 
and  remarked  that  the  Emperor  would  regret  being 
away,  '  as  he  is  very  fond  of  you.' 

"  I  thanked  him  and  said  I  might  be  here  until  the 
7th,  that  I  had  seen  Lord  Lansdowne  in  London  and 
Rouvier  in  Paris,  and  without  abusing  any  confidence, 
said  that  I  found  the  latter  very  nervous  as  to  the  affairs 
in  Russia,  but  for  some  reason  I  found  them  much 
more  optimistic  in  Berlin,  and  that  I  wanted  to  ask  him 
the  cause  of  it.  He  answered,  c  I  will  tell  you  all  I 
know.  France  has  very  much  at  stake,  holding  15  mil 
liards  (francs)  in  Russian  notes,  which  naturally  wor 
ried  Rouvier,  as  he  watches  the  finances  very  carefully.' 
Germany  had  about  3  milliards.  Then  he  had  advices 
from  military  attaches,  who  assured  them  that,  while  the 
navy  could  not  be  relied  upon  and  was  in  a  deplorable 
condition,  it  was  their  opinion  that  the  army  could  be  de 
pended  upon  to  stand  by  the  Tsar,  and  that  we  had  seen 
the  worst.  We  both  agreed,  however,  that  Witte  was 
between  two  fires  —  the  Ducal  party  not  trusting  him, 
and  the  Liberals  and  Zemtsvos  having  no  confidence  in 
his  integrity.  What  Russia  needed  now  was  a  strong 
hand  which  would  inspire  confidence  and  respect.  He 
never  remembered  in  the  history  of  any  country  a  revo 
lutionary  spirit  which  heretofore  had  not  developed  a 
leader.  No  one  could  ascertain  who  was  back  of  it. 
I  remarked  that  the  trouble  was  that  there  were  no  real 
leaders  on  either  side.  There  was  general  discontent 
and  a  spontaneous  movement  of  strikes  throughout  the 
country. 

"I  thanked  von  Billow  for  the  kind  offer  of  the 


228  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Navy  Department  —  which  was,  if  R.R.  communica 
tions  should  stop  again,  they  would  then  do  as  they 
had  before  for  a  short  time,  send  their  dispatches  and 
courier  by  torpedo  service;  they  would  be  very  glad 
to  carry  any  communications  to  me  or  convey  our  own 
courier. 

ff  December  5.  —  Go  out  to  Potsdam  on  the  7  P.M. 
train,  where  I  am  met  at  the  Emperor's  station  of  wild 
park  by  a  royal  carriage,  which  drives  me  quickly,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  to  the  so-called  New  Palace,  which, 
however,  was  built  by  Frederick  the  Great.  I  little 
thought  in  1878,  when  I  went  over  (I  was  then  a 
junior  at  Harvard),  that  later  in  life  I  should  be  the 
honoured  guest  of  the  evening,  entertained  by  the 
Emperor  and  Empress  of  Germany.  I  was  received 
by  a  lady-in-waiting  of  the  Empress.  Later  an 
A.D.C.  told  me  my  seat  at  dinner,  having  a  plan  to 
designate  the  seat,  which  was  second  from  the  Em 
peror,  the  Duchess  of  Holstein  (sister  of  the  Empress) 
sitting  between  the  Emperor  and  myself. 

"We  went  in  to  dinner  informally,  the  Empress 
leading  with  her  sister  and  her  daughter  and  the 
ladies-in-waiting;  then  the  Emperor,  Prince  Henry, 
Prince  Eitel,  myself,  and  the  others.  At  dinner  the 
conversation  was  quite  general,  the  Emperor  quite 
often  leaning  forward  and  talking  across  the  Duchess 
of  Holstein  about  the  new  steamer,  Amerika,  which 
runs  between  Hamburg  and  America,  describing  the 
five  decks  which  were  each  named  after  a  president 
and  connected  by  elevators  and  with  a  Ritz  restaurant 
on  the  upper  deck.  I  had  a  peculiar  discussion  with 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  229 

the  Duchess  of  Holstein  about  the  advisability  of  in 
troducing  Christianity  in  the  East  —  which  I  con 
tended  against  as  being  detrimental  to  those  races, 
which  seemed  to  strike  her  as  very  sad. 

"  After  dinner  the  Emperor  came  forward  and 
said,  *  Come,  we  will  have  a  smoke  together.'  I  then 
told  him  that  the  President  had  instructed  me  to  ask 
him  if  he  had  observed  the  difference  in  the  tone  of 
the  cable  to  him  and  that  to  the  King  of  England.  He 
said,  '  Not  only  did  I  notice  it  and  appreciate  it,  but 
it  had  an  instantaneous  effect  all  over  the  world, 
especially  in  England  and  France,'  where  he  had  been 
designedly  misrepresented.  He  added  that  it  was  a 
very  generous  thing  for  the  Presidettt  to  do.  I  also 
told  him  that,  as  a  result  of  our  conversation  and  my 
representations,  the  President  told  me  to  say  that  he 
had  changed  his  opinions  as  to  Delcasse.  Finally  I 
told  His  Majesty  that  the  President  wanted  to  make 
clear  that  the  questions  of  the  Commercial  Treaty  did 
not  depend  upon  him,  but  rested  entirely  with  the  Sen 
ate,  who  were  not  at  the  moment  in  a  very  favourable 
mood.  The  Emperor  said  he  quite  understood  the 
situation. 

"  He  then  went  on  to  tell  me  about  the  gravity  of 
the  situation  in  Russia,  and  did  not  think  that  the 
Tsar  appreciated  it,  had  doubts  as  to  the  reliability  of 
the  army;  thought  the  strikes  were  trying  to  force  a 
republic.  Had  lately  heard  that  they  were  trying  to 
mobilize  450,000  Cossacks.  If  such  is  the  case,  the 
Kaiser  said,  '  Possibly  the  Emperor  intends  to  en 
deavour  to  reconquer  the  country.' 


230  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

"  Referring  to  England,  he  said,  '  I  see  symptoms 
of  reaction  against  the  bitter  feeling  in  Germany.  On 
the  King's  birthday,  knowing  that  he  loves  fine  porce 
lain,  I  sent  him  two  beautiful  vases,  requesting  that 
they  be  put  on  his  birthday  table.  I  also  took  the  pre 
caution  to  say  that  they  had  been  sent,  and  with  them 
my  felicitations.  Wire  came  back  from  the  King  that 
he  thanked  me  for  them,  but  they  had  not  come  to  hand. 
On  investigation,  it  was  found  that  Lord  Knollys *  had 
had  them  sidetracked  to  Buckingham.'  The  Emperor 
said  Knollys  was  always  hostile  to  Germany  in  every 
possible  way,  and  greatly  influenced  the  King.  The 
King,  however,  wired  that  they  were  brought  down  on 
a  special  train  and  displayed  at  the  birthday  dinner. 

"  It  was  at  10.30  that  Count  Eulenburg  came  up 
and  said  the  Ambassador  had  only  fifteen  minutes  to 
catch  the  train;  we  had  been  talking  steadily  since  din 
ner.  I  went  to  take  my  departure  of  the  Empress, 
and  she  said  to  me  that  she  had  hoped  to  have  a  little 
chat  with  me,  but  the  Emperor  *  kept  you  the  entire 
evening.'  She  wished  me  a  bon  voyage.  The  Emperor 
added,  '  Aufwiedersehen,'  and  Prince  Henry  said, 
'With  your  permission  the  Princess  Henry  will  send 
you  a  letter  for  her  sister,  the  Empress,  which  she  begs 
you  to  deliver  by  a  trusted  messenger  after  your  ar 
rival  in  St.  Petersburg.' ' 

Meyer's  diary  for  the  few  remaining  weeks  of  1905 
touches  upon  the  many  disturbances  of  a  revolutionary 
character  throughout  Russia,  on  changes  in  the  Diplo- 

i  Private  Secretary  to  King  Edward  VII. 


1905}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  231 

matic  Corps  at  St.  Petersburg,  and  on  personal  mat 
ters,  including  the  note  on  December  18,  "  It  is  thought 
that  we  may  have  trouble  later  on,  so  I  have  ordered 
200  cartridges  for  my  rifle  and  200  cartridges,  No.  2 
buckshot,  for  my  guns."  The  chief  points  of  general 
interest  are  covered  in  the  following  letters  :- 

To  Senator  Lodge 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  December  12,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  CABOT,  — 

...  In  London  I  talked  with  Lansdowne,  in  Paris 
with  Rouvier,  and  in  Berlin  with  von  Billow  and  also  the  Em 
peror.  I  cabled  Mr.  Root  the  gist  of  what  happened,  and  have 
since  written  the  President,  as  well  as  the  Secretary  of  State. 

Conditions  here  have  entirely  changed ;  the  Government 
is  showing  the  same  incompetency  as  to  handling  the  internal 
situation  that  they  did  in  the  late  war.  The  reactionists  are 
plotting  against  Witte,  and  the  liberals  do  not  believe  in  his 
integrity,  and  they  themselves  are  divided  up  into  groups  work 
ing  at  cross  purposes. 

The  Socialist  and  Labour  Unions  are  working  in  common, 
and  although  they  have  not  developed  any  leaders,  they  have 
a  very  complete  organization  for  establishing  strikes  when  and 
wherever  they  like.  Their  aim  is  to  cause  the  overthrow  of  the 
existing  government  and  bring  about  a  republic.  They  are 
quite  intoxicated  with  their  success  and  taste  of  power,  and  are 
likely  to  overdo  it,  causing  a  reaction  and  possibly  bringing 
about  a  military  dictatorship,  which  would  mean  a  return  to  old 
methods  and  great  bloodshed.  Every  one  is  excited  and 
nervous,  and  no  one  goes  out  on  the  street  without  being  armed. 

The  financial  situation  of  the  Government  is  a  very  diffi 
cult  one.  Twice  they  have  been  on  the  point  of  closing  great 
loans,  and  each  time  they  have  been  indefinitely  postponed :  once 


232  GEORGE  vox  L.  MEYER 

during  the  war,  when  the  French  bankers  withdrew,  and  again 
only  lately,  when  the  papers  were  practically  drawn  up  for  a 
350,000,000  rouble  loan  and  the  general  strike  prevented  it. 
Now  great  quantities  of  money  are  being  withdrawn  from  the 
banks  and  savings-banks  and  transferred  out  of  the  country. 

Witte  is  going  to  try  and  hold  on  if  possible  until  the 
Duma  meets;  but  the  election  day  has  not  been  named  nor  the 
date  of  the  meeting  of  the  Duma  fixed.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the 
Constitution  has  never  yet  been  signed  —  merely  the  Manifesto 
of  the  Tsar,  which  could  be  revoked  at  any  moment.  One  of 
Witte's  intimate  friends  came  to  see  me  yesterday.1  Can  you 
imagine  —  Witte  has  made  no  arrangements  for  an  organiza 
tion  in  order  to  ensure  himself  a  group  of  representatives  on 
whose  support  he  could  count  when  the  Duma  met.  He  is  a 
financier,  not  a  statesman,  or  even  a  practical  politician.  The 
people  are  all  nearly  crazy  here,  and  are  not  contented  with  any 
concessions ;  having  got  started,  now  they  want  all  the  reforms 
in  one  fell  swoop,  which  the  other  nations  have  taken  generations 
to  accomplish;  and  to  cap  the  climax,  they  demand  universal 
suffrage  for  women  as  well  as  men,  notwithstanding  that  there 
are  a  hundred  million  illiterates  in  the  Empire.  One  day  we 
are  told  that  there  will  be  a  general  strike,  and  then  that  Witte 
is  to  resign  and  a  military  dictator  to  succeed  him.  Everything 
in  fact  is  rumoured,  from  the  flight  of  the  Tsar  down. 

To  show  the  importance  and  seriousness  of  the  Grand 
Dukes,  they  had  a  shooting  party  of  two  days  during  the  time 
of  the  most  alarming  strike. 

Wishing  you  and  yours  a  Merry  Christmas  and  Happy 
New  Year,  believe  me, 

Sincerely  yours, 

G.  v.  L.  MEYEE. 

i  The  diary  of  the  preceding  day  records  a  visit  from  Dr.  E.  J.  Dillon, 
of  the  London  Daily  Telegraph. 


19001  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  233 

To  Mrs.  Meyer 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  December  19,  1905. 

.  .  .  To-day  was  the  Emperor's  name-day  and  there 
was  a  great  service  at  the  St.  Isaac's  Cathedral.  All  the  Diplo 
matic  Corps  went  —  I  was  the  doyen,  as  the  only  other  Am 
bassador  there  was  the  new  Spanish  one,  the  Turk  not  going,  as 
they  won't  let  him  wear  his  fez  in  the  Cathedral.  We  were  on 
a  raised  platform  next  to  the  altar.  Neither  the  Emperor  nor 
any  of  the  Russian  Grand  Dukes  were  there  —  I  think  they 
were  afraid  to  come.  Witte  and  all  the  officials  and  a  great 
many  officers  in  their  gala  uniforms  were  there,  and  it  was  a 
very  impressive  sight.  There  were  wonderful  bass  voices  in 
the  choir,  and  magnificent  gold  costumes  worn  by  the  priests. 
The  service  lasted  about  from  12  to  1.  .  .  . 

The  Government  evidently  has  got  tired  of  these  strikes, 
and  they  are  now  arresting  the  leaders  right  and  left.  The 
labour  unions  have  issued  a  manifesto  against  the  arrests,  and 
we  are  liable  to  have  a  big  strike;  but  I  have  laid  in  an  addi 
tional  supply  of  food  and  candles,  and  there  is  no  occasion  for 
you  to  worry  about  me.  In  all  the  disturbances  that  have  taken 
place  in  the  out-of-the-way  cities  and  towns,  none  of  the  con 
sulates  have  ever  been  touched  or  even  foreign  property  of  citi 
zens  ever  been  molested.  This  has  always  been  the  history  in 
all  troubles,  and  even  in  revolutions.  There  may  be  times  when 
we  cannot  cable  you  on  account  of  a  strike,  but  I  hope  to  be 
able  to  keep  you  closely  informed. 

To  President  Roosevelt 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  December  20,  1905. 
MY  DEAR  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

History  seems  to  be  repeating  itself,  and  there  is  a  strange 
resemblance  between  certain  events  in  France  during  1789  and 
that  which  is  now  taking  place  here: 


234  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

1.  The  discontent  of  the  people. 

2.  The  delaying  of  the   date   of  meeting   of  the  Duma, 
and  whether  it  will  develop  into  a  real  national  assembly,  as 
did  the  Third  Estate,  and  bring  forth  such  men  as  Mirabeau 
and  Robespierre,  remains  to  be  seen. 

3.  The  position  of  Witte  as  compared  to  that  of  Neckar; 
the  former  capable,  but  no  statesman,  the  latter  lacking  in  the 
same  respect,  but  honest  and  more  popular. 

4.  Now,  as  then,  loyalty  to   the  Sovereign  exists   among 
the  people,  and  even  soldiers;  but  will  it  not  also  later  on  die 
out  here  if  reforms  are  too  long  delayed  and  merely  promised 
on  paper? 

At  present  the  faith  in  the  Tsar  continues  because  the 
people  believe  it  is  the  bureaucracy  and  certain  Grand  Dukes 
that  hamper  the  Emperor  in  carrying  out  what  he  has  promised. 

In  one  of  my  letters  last  year  I  wrote  you  that,  if  the 
army  remained  loyal,  changes  would  come  about  by  evolution 
rather  than  revolution.  Since  then,  however,  the  navy  has 
shown  itself  absolutely  rotten,  and  there  has  been  insubordina 
tion  in  the  army  at  Vladivostok,  Harbin,  Odessa,  Sebastopol, 
Kieff,  Moscow,  and  even  St.  Petersburg.  Rumours  have  reached 
us  lately  that  it  is  very  serious  among  the  troops  in  Man 
churia.  Now,  after  the  trouble  has  actually  begun,  an  Ukase 
has  been  issued  stating  that  the  rations  and  clothing  for  the 
army  are  to  be  improved  and  their  pay  increased.  Like  every 
thing  else  that  has  been  done  here  the  last  two  years,  it  comes 
possibly  too  late. 

Reaction,  during  the  last  few  days,  has  set  in.  Newspaper 
offices  are  being  closed,  editors  arrested  and  placed  in  the 
prison  of  Peter  and  Paul,  the  Bastille  of  St.  Petersburg,  and 
labour-union  leaders  are  run  in  by  the  police  and  Cossacks  in 
great  numbers.  Unfortunately  for  the  Government  the  Social 
istic  unions  appear  to  be  admirably  organized,  in  which  respect 


1905}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  235 

the  Witte  Government  is  woefully  lacking.  Matters  must  soon 
come  to  a  crisis  and  unless  all  signs  fail,  the  strength  of  the 
Government  will  be  tested  by  further  strikes  which  are  liable 
to  end  in  revolution. 

On  the  19th  of  January  is  the  celebration  of  the  blessing 
of  the  waters  of  the  Neva.  It  will  be  just  a  year  since  the 
cannon  ball  was  fired  into  the  Winter  Palace  from  across  the 
river.  It  is  rumoured  that  the  Emperor's  entourage  have  per 
suaded  him  not  to  attend  the  fete  but  to  have  it  at  Tsarskoe 
Selo,  where  he  is  living  like  a  caged  animal,  in  a  park  surrounded 
by  a  high  iron  railing  and  barbed-wire  fence.  It  will  be  a  fatal 
mistake  if  His  Majesty  does  not  come  to  St.  Petersburg  and 
show  himself  on  this  occasion  to  his  people,  thereby  winning 
their  admiration  and  gaining  the  respect  of  the  world.  If  he 
fails  to  come,  he  will  be  branded  a  coward,  and  the  socialists 
and  revolutionists  will  surely  make  capital  out  of  it.  ... 

Wishing  you  and  yours  a  Happy  New  Year;  believe  me, 
my  dear  Mr.  President, 

1  Respectfully  yours, 

4  GEOBGE  v.  L.  MEYERS 

To  Mrs.  Meyer 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  Xmas,  December  25,  1905. 
.  .  .  Sunday  I  was  at  a  place  named  Tosno  to  get  some 
shooting.  It  was  wonderful  in  the  country  —  there  was  a  foot 
of  snow  which  had  got  trampled  down  on  the  road  and  made 
the  sleighing  perfect.  I  went  out  Saturday  night,  arrived  there 
at  half-past  nine  after  a  sleigh  ride  of  about  three-quarters 
of  an  hour.  It  was  a  beautiful  night  and  perfectly  still,  and 
in  my  felt  shoes  and  new  fur  cap  and  coat  I  was  as  warm  and 
comfortable  as  if  I  had  been  in  a  room.  Next  morning  I  went 
to  the  place  in  the  woods  where  we  had  the  "  drive,"  with  two 
Russians,  and  in  the  afternoon  I  shot  a  moose  —  a  great  big 


236  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

fellow.  Got  back  to  the  Kleinmichel  house  at  six  o'clock  Sun 
day  afternoon.  That  evening  being  Christmas  Eve,  the  Prince 
and  Princess  Fiirstenberg,  Prince  and  Princess  Belosselsky,  and 
Prince  Hohenlohe  dined  with  me.  After  dinner  we  went  to  the 
ballet,  where  I  had  a  box  next  to  the  Imperial  one. 

This  is  certainly  an  extraordinary  country.  There  was 
shooting  and  firing  going  on  in  the  streets  of  Moscow,  yet  here 
was  the  ballet  being  given  in  a  theatre  as  large  as  the  Boston 
Theatre,  except  that  the  balconies  consist  of  tiers  of  boxes, 
given  in  all  its  splendour  with  the  theatre  crowded;  ladies  in 
evening  costume  with  all  their  jewels,  and  really  a  most  brilliant 
affair.  The  ony  significant  feature  was  that  no  royalty  was 
present.  It  was  the  most  beautiful  ballet  that  I  have  ever  seen, 
and  consisted  of  three  acts,  in  a  variety  of  costumes,  one  act 
being  made  up  of  dances  from  different  countries  —  Hungary, 
Poland,  etc.,  and  many  of  the  women  on  the  stage  being  really 
handsome.  To  my  mind  the  most  attractive  dance  was  given 
by  eight  women  in  long  ball-room  dresses,  holding  fans  in  their 
hands,  and  all  the  women  of  same  height  and  good  figure.  The 
performance  was  over  at  a  very  sensible  hour  —  half-past  ten. 
Among  the  people  there  were  Mrs.  Whishaw  and  her  daughter, 
who  were  with  the  Spring-Rices.  I  also  met  the  Whishaws  walk 
ing  on  the  Quay  this  afternoon. 

The  troubles  in  Moscow  have  been  certainly  serious,  but  I 
believe  the  loss  of  life  is  very  much  exaggerated.  A  reaction 
has  set  in  with  the  Government  and  they  are  determined  now  in 
the  future  to  put  down  any  revolutionary  movement.  I  do  not 
anticipate  any  serious  trouble  in  Petersburg.  If  you  were 
living  here,  you  would  not  know  that  anything  out  of  the  way 
was  going  on,  except  for  what  you  read  in  the  papers  taking 
place  in  other  cities  and  towns  throughout  the  Empire. 


1905]          AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  237 

To  Mrs.  Meyer 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  December  30,  1905. 

.  .  .  The  situation  in  Moscow,  from  advices  that  we 
received  to-day,  is  gradually  improving.  It  has  got  down  to  a 
guerilla  warfare  with  the  revolutionists  who  build  barricades 
and  then  shoot  at  the  troops  out  of  the  windows.  The  troops 
have  remained  loyal,  fresh  troops  have  arrived  from  St.  Peters 
burg,  and  consequently  this  attempt  will  prove  a  failure.  The 
country,  however,  is  so  agitated  and  disturbed  that  it  will  take 
months  and  possibly  years,  before  order  is  established  through 
out  the  Empire.  Petersburg  remains  quiet.  There  have  been 
some  very  amusing  hooligan  stories.  They  come  up  to  people 
and  demand  money,  and  in  one  instance  a  lady  gave  all  she  had 
and  thereupon  asked  how  she  was  to  get  home.  The  hooligan 
replied:  "Allow  me,  Madam,  to  have  the  privilege  of  paying 
your  fare."  And  he  put  her  in  a  droshky  and  sent  her  home.  In 
another  instance  a  hooligan  asked  the  privilege  of  kissing  a 
lady's  hand,  which  she  reluctantly  allowed,  and  then  he  said: 
"  Now  you  can  kiss  mine."  But  the  best  of  all  was  the  case  of 
the  man  who,  on  a  cold  night,  was  accosted  by  two  hooligans, 
who  demanded  his  watch  and  overcoat.  He  thereupon  said, 
"  I'll  give  you  my  watch,  willingly,  but  if  I  give  up  my  coat,  I 
shall  take  my  death  cold."  The  hooligans  said :  "  That's  easily 
remedied,  we  will  swap  coats."  On  getting  home  the  gentleman, 
out  of  curiosity,  looked  through  the  tattered  coat  and,  to  his 
surprise  and  pleasure,  found  a  hundred  roubles  and  another 
watch. 

You  would  be  amused  if  you  saw  me  driving  in  my  sleigh, 
with  my  Russian  fur  coat,  collar  turned  up,  and  my  Russian 
fur  cap,  so  that  no  one  can  see  anything  but  my  eyes  and, 
possibly,  red  nose.  The  coachman  in  front  is  so  big  and  so 
padded  that  I  cannot  see  out  on  either  side.  My  pair  of  grey 


238  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

horses  have  blue  nets,  so  that  the  snow  cannot  be  thrown  up, 
and  Otto  stands  up  in  majestic  grandeur  behind.  I  will  try  and 
have  a  photograph  taken.  I  am  using  the  open  sleigh  both 
night  and  day,  because  I  prefer  it  to  the  closed  carriage  now. 
Otto  has  a  loaded  revolver  in  one  pocket,  and  I  also  in  one  of 
mine.  I  think  it  unnecessary,  but  it  is  the  habit  of  the  place 
now. 

To  Secretary  Root 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  December  30,  1905. 
My  DEAR  MR.  SECRETARY,— 

Fighting  has  been  going  on  in  the  streets  of  Moscow  for 
a  week.  It  has  finally  reached  the  guerilla  stage.  Barricades 
are  quickly  made  every  night  by  the  revolutionists,  and  then 
snow  and  water  poured  over  them,  which  freezes,  and  a  red 
flag  in  each  instance  is  stuck  into  the  barrier.  Under  strict 
orders  of  the  Revolutionary  Committee,  no  one  is  allowed  to 
remain  behind  them.  When  the  soldiers  come  to  destroy  these 
barricades,  half  a  dozen  revolutionists  fire  at  the  officers  from 
some  adjoining  house,  and  then  escape  by  a  prearranged  plan. 
The  soldiers  attack  the  house  and  not  infrequently  shoot  down 
and  kill  innocent  people.  This  condition  of  affairs  may  drag 
on  for  several  days,  but  from  what  advices  I  can  obtain,  the 
troops  have  remained  loyal  and  the  present  revolution  in  Mos 
cow  will  prove  a  failure. 

I  have  an  acquaintance  in  St.  Petersburg  who  is  on  very 
friendly  terms  with  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  Union  of  Unions. 
He  asked  him  what  they  expected  to  gain  by  their  action  in 
Moscow.  He  replied  that  their  object  was  to  capture  Moscow, 
and  set  up  a  provisional  government ;  that  they  expected  some 
of  the  troops  would  come  over  to  them ;  this  would  attract 
others  from  all  over  the  country  and  ensure  the  final  overthrow 
of  the  Government.  "And  if  you  fail  in  Moscow?"  Then 


wo5}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  239 

answered  the  revolutionist,  "  We  will  possibly  make  another 
attempt  in  Kieff,  Harkoff,  or  Odessa;  otherwise  we  shall  resort 
to  a  form  of  terrorism  greater  in  extent  that  has  ever  been 
attempted  in  Russia.  The  lives  of  twenty  have  been  decided 
upon.  First  of  all,  the  Tsar,  and  among  the  others  is  Witte." 

Two  days  ago  in  Moscow  the  house  of  the  Chief  of  the 
Secret  Police  was  entered  by  five  men,  who  warned  him  that 
they  were  about  to  kill  him  and  that  he  must  take  leave  at  once 
of  his  children.  This  privilege  was  alone  allowed  to  him,  and  a 
few  minutes  later  he  was  taken  out  into  the  court-yard  and  shot. 

The  Jews  have  undoubtedly  to  a  large  extent  furnished 
the  brains  and  energy  in  the  revolution  throughout  Russia. 
The  students  are  generally  revolutionists,  and  throughout  the 
summer  and  autumn  they  have  travelled  and  worked  among  the 
peasants  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  showing  them  the  injus 
tices  under  which  they  were  living  and  the  remedies  which  should 
Ibe  applied  by  a  constitutional  assembly,  promising  also  a  great 
distribution  of  land. 

Baroness  Huene,  the  daughter  of  the  former  American 
Minister  Lothrop,1  who  has  lived  here  for  over  twenty  years, 
and  is  the  wife  of  a  Russian  who  has  an  estate  in  the  Baltic 
Provinces,  informs  me  that  they  expect  any  day  to  hear  of  the 
burning  of  their  property  in  Livonia,  which  means  total  loss  to 
her  husband.  Seventy  large  estates,  to  her  knowledge,  have 
already  been  devastated  and  as  many  more  have  been  burnt  in 
Kurland,  which  means  ruin  to  these  families. 

Disturbances  are  so  general  throughout  the  Empire  that 
it  is  not  a  matter  of  weeks,  but  months,  and  some  even  say  years, 
before  order  can  be  restored  and  established. 

There  are  two  factors  yet  to  be  reckoned  with:  one  the 
returning  troops  from  Manchuria,  now  arriving  and  quite  de 
moralized,  and  the  other  the  Duma.  There  are  those  who  seem 

i  Minister  to  Russia  under  Cleveland. 


240  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

to  consider  that  the  Duma  will  be  a  panacea  for  all  grievances. 
They  appear  to  forget  how  difficult  it  is,  and  what  time  it 
requires,  for  the  parliamentary  body  (which  in  this  case  has  had 
no  experience  whatever)  to  agree  on  necessary  legislation.  To 
my  mind  the  autocratic  power  of  the  Tsar,  if  he  only  knew  how 
to  use  it  and  had  the  courage  to  do  so,  could  be  employed  to 
great  advantage  at  the  present  moment ;  since  by  a  mere  stroke 
of  the  pen  he  could  institute  reforms  and  establish  laws,  with 
out  legislative  delay,  which  the  better  element  of  the  nation 
have  been  crying  for  for  over  a  generation.  As  it  is,  nothing 
is  actually  done,  mere  promises  given,  which  have  so  often  later 
on  been  withdrawn,  and  in  the  history  of  Finland  actually 
broken.  The  danger  to-day  is  the  weakness  and  incompetency 
of  the  Government.  The  extreme  measures  and  excesses  of  the 
revolutionists  may  cause  a  terrible  reaction  to  set  in,  which 
will  result  in  much  bloodshed  and  cruelty. 

For  foreigners  I  do  not  anticipate  any  great  danger  as  far 
as  the  revolutionists  are  concerned,  for  in  no  instance  can  I 
ascertain  that  they  have  attached  or  disturbed  a  consulate,  or 
even  killed  a  foreigner.  The  only  risk  is  from  the  hooligans  or 
irresponsible  mob,  which  might  take  the  opportunity,  during 
the  conflicts  that  are  taking  place  between  the  revolutionists 
and  the  troops,  to  obtain  plunder.  .  .  . 

I  do  not  seriously  anticipate  danger  to  life  and  property 
in  St.  Petersburg,  as  there  are  so  many  troops  stationed  here, 
and  the  Tsar  and  the  Grand  Dukes  have  so  much  at  stake  in 
this  city  that  protection  is  apparently  well-organized;  but  in 
Russia  that  does  not  mean  all  it  should.  It  is  possible  that  we 
may  be  cut  off  from  all  communication,  as  the  revolutionists 
in  the  Baltic  Provinces  are  gaining  ground,  and  they  threaten 
to  blow  up  some  of  the  railroad  bridges  between  St.  Petersburg 
and  Eydtkuhnen  (the  Berlin  route),  but  I  believe  it  would  soon 
be  reopened. 


am  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  241 

It  is  a  pity  that  the  Emperor,  instead  of  reviewing  favour 
ite  regiments  and  shutting  himself  up  in  Tsarskoe  Selo,  twenty 
miles  from  St.  Petersburg,  as  did  also  Louis  XVI  in  Versailles, 
does  not  study  the  causes  and  results  of  the  French  Revolution 
of  1789  and  profit  by  the  events  which  are  rapidly  being  re 
peated  in  his  own  Empire. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  Mr.  Secretary, 

Faithfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER/ 


Were  the  primary  object  of  this  chapter  to  present 
a  picture  of  Russian  affairs  during  the  period  of 
Meyer's  ambassadorship  at  St.  Petersburg,  the  mate 
rial  to  be  found  in  his  diary  and  letters  would  be 
ample  for  the  purpose.  It  must  be  remembered,  how 
ever,  that  the  year  1906  in  Russia,  despite  its  fore- 
shadowings  of  the  tragedies  of  recent  occurrence,  held 
no  single  event  of  such  importance  to  the  world  as  the 
conclusion  of  the  Russo-Japanese  War  in  1905;  and 
also  that  this  book  is,  first  of  all,  a  biography  of 
George  Meyer.  For  the  year  and  a  month  of  his 
further  stay  in  St.  Petersburg,  therefore,  a  somewhat 
more  rigorous  selection  must  be  made  from  his  own 
record  of  what  he  saw  and  did.  Even  so,  there  is 
much  to  be  told,  if  only  because  the  Algeciras  Confer 
ence  and  the  first  meeting  of  the  Russian  Duma 
occurred  in  1906. 

"  January  19  1906.  —  Very  cold,  and  good  sleigh 
ing.  The  trees  and  shrubs  are  a  wonderful  sight,  the 
snow  having  frozen  on  the  branches  and  twigs. 

"  St.  Petersburg,  as  far  as  the  eye  is  concerned, 


242  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

shows  no  signs  on  the  streets  of  the  disturbances  and 
revolutions  going  on  in  the  country,  except  for  the 
beggars  and  hooligans  on  the  sidewalks.  The  Ameri 
can  Consul  in  Moscow  telephoned  to-day  that  the  bar 
ricades  were  being  removed  from  the  streets,  shops  are 
being  opened  again,  and  matters  were  getting  into 
normal  state,  and  that  the  Consulate  had  not  been  dis 
turbed  or  molested;  that  where  he  lived,  except  for 
the  sounds  of  the  cannon,  they  would  not  have  known 
that  anything  was  going  on.  Rather  different  from 
what  the  papers  were  describing. 

"  January  3.  —  Called  on  Count  Lamsdorff  at  the 
Foreign  Office.  It  was  his  day  for  receiving  the  Dip 
lomatic  Corps.  The  ministers  of  Roumania  and  Bel 
gium  were  in  the  room  and  Mr.  Lovenoon  *  just  com 
ing  out  from  seeing  Lamsdorff  as  I  entered,  so  that  I 
was  able  to  go  right  in. 

"  He  told  me  that  they  had  had  no  communications 
with  General  Linevich  for  weeks;  that  even  a  telegram 
signed  by  the  Tsar  himself  the  strikers  had  not  allowed 
to  be  forwarded  to  Vladivostok.  Imagine  last  year 
such  an  acknowledgment  being  made.  He  also  de 
nied  the  rumour  that  Dournovo  would  be  made  Prime 
Minister  in  place  of  Witte.  Lamsdorff  seemed  to 
think  that  the  worst  is  now  over,  but  I  cannot  agree 
with  him  in  this  respect. 

"  Send  a  pouch  off  by  the  English  courier.  It  is 
rather  remarkable  that  John  Quincy  Adams,  writing 
from  here  to  the  State  Department  in  January,  1810, 
refers  to  the  disturbances  of  the  communications  be- 

iThe  Danish  Minister. 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  243 

tween  here  and  other  parts  of  the  world,  so  that  he 
fears  his  letters  would  be  received  very  irregularly.  I 
quote  it  in  my  dispatch  to  Mr.  Root,  Secretary  of 
State,  as  it  is  so  applicable  to  the  present  time. 

"  January  9.  —  Send  a  confidential  cable  to  the 
State  Department.  In  the  absence  of  the  French  Am 
bassador,  their  Minister  [Charge?]  sent  word  to  Witte, 
that  while  the  French  Government  had,  or  knew,  the 
instructions  to  the  delegates  *  from  England,  America, 
Spain,  Italy,  and  Russia,  they  did  not  know  those  of 
Germany  and  Austria.  They  now  wanted  not  only 
the  moral  support  of  Russia,  in  case  Germany  by  ex 
cessive  demands  might  cause  the  failure  of  the  Con 
ference,  but  they  wished  for  the  Tsar  as  friend  to 
friend  to  urge  the  Kaiser  [against]  asking  for  such 
things  as  would  be  unreasonable.  France  realized  that 
they  could  not  expect  anything  from  Russia's  army  at 
this  time,  but  feared  Germany  might  take  advantage 
of  these  circumstances.  I  added  to  my  cable  that  the 
President,  of  all  people  under  certain  circumstances, 
might  have  the  greatest  moral  effect  and  influence  with 
both  Germany  and  France  in  this  Conference. 

(f  January  10.  —  Dine  at  Baroness  Ramsay's,  din 
ner  given  for  Sir  Charles  Hardinge,  who  presented 
his  letters  of  recall  to  the  Emperor  to-day  at  Tsarskoe 
Selo.  Sir  Charles  told  me  that  he  spoke  to  the  Tsar 
about  the  Morocco  Conference  and  said  to  him  that, 
notwithstanding  the  improved  relations  between  Eng 
land  and  Germany  and  the  latter's  advances,  England 
would  remain  in  the  Conference  loyal  to  France  and 

iTo  the  Algeciras  Conference. 


244  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

would  stand  by  her  agreement.     The  Tsar  expressed 
gratification  at  this." 

To  Mrs.  Meyer 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  January  15,  1906. 

.  .  .  Yesterday  was  the  first  of  January,  Russian,  and 
the  Emperor  and  Empress  received  the  Diplomatic  Corps  in 
the  Alexandra  Palace  at  Tsarskoe  Selo.  We  all  left  St.  Peters 
burg  at  half-past  two,  in  a  royal  train  which  ran  over  the  Em 
peror's  special  road  to  Tsarskoe.  Six  Ambassadors  were  pres 
ent  —  those  absent  were  the  English  and  Austrian.  On  account 
of  the  changes  the  order  of  precedence  was  as  follows :  Turkey, 
France,  Italy,  America,  Spain,  Germany,  with  Austria  and 
England  at  the  foot  of  the  line,  after  the  Ministers,  as  only 
Charges  were  in  charge.  At  half-past  three,  after  the  Master 
of  Ceremonies  had  arranged  us  in  a  circle,  very  much  as  was 
done  in  Italy,  the  doors  were  thrown  open  and  the  royal  house 
hold  marched  in,  with  Count  Benckendorff  and  Baron  Korff 
leading,  the  Empress  being  followed  by  four  young  maids  of 
honour,  none  of  whom  had  any  pretensions  to  looks,  with  the 
exception  of  the  young  Princess  Dolgorouky. 

The  Emperor,  when  it  came  my  turn,  was  most  cordial, 
remarking  that  it  was  some  time  since  he  had  seen  me.  He 
asked  after  you,  and  I  told  him  that  it  was  Julia's  illness,  and 
not  fear,  which  had  kept  the  family  from  coming  here.  He  then 
asked  me  if  I  hadn't  found  things  quite  different  from  what  the 
newspapers  had  led  me  to  believe,  saying  that  he  thought  things 
looked  better  and  that  the  worst  was  over.  I  expressed  the 
wish  that  1906  might  prove  advantageous  to  Russia  in  solving 
the  many  problems  which  were  before  the  country.  He  thanked 
me  for  my  expressions  and  said  that  he  should  never  forget 
what  my  President  had  done,  and  repeated  it  later  on  very 
emphatically,  showing  that  he  meant  it.  I  presented  Captain 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  245 

Roy  Smith,  the  Naval  Attache,  and  he  immediately  asked  about 
our  fleet,  which  had  just  arrived  at  the  Mediterranean,  saying: 
"I  suppose  you  are  sending  vessels  into  warmer  waters  during 
the  winter,  as  we  do  " ;  and  then  corrected  himself :  "  as  we  used 
to  when  we  had  a  fleet."  It  was  almost  pathetic.  .  .  .  As  he 
took  leave,  the  Emperor  again  shook  hands  and  thanked  me 
for  my  expressions  of  good  wishes. 

His  Majesty  had  hardly  left  when  the  Empress  advanced, 
and  I  bowed  low  and  saluted  her  hand.  She  had  a  much  more 
attractive  expression  this  time  than  when  I  first  met  her  last 
year  in  April.  She  immediately  asked  after  you  and  the  girls, 
and  was  shocked  to  hear  of  Julia's  operation  and  expressed 
great  interest  in  it,  speaking  of  it  [appendicitis]  as  one  of  the 
terrible  new  diseases.  She  was  glad  also  to  hear  that  you  were 
all  coming  in  the  spring.  I  took  the  occasion  to  express  the 
hope  that  the  Tsarevich  was  in  good  health,  and  she  said  that 
he  merely  had  a  cold  and  occasional  coughs  that  babies  are  apt 
to  have,  but  that  she  personally  was  very  glad  that  they  were 
staying  at  Tsarskoe,  as  it  is  so  much  healthier  for  the  children. 
She  informed  me  that  he  could  not  speak  yet,  but  understood 
everything;  and  related  how  she  had  taken  him  to  the  review 
of  one  of  the  regiments  and  that  he  had  shown  the  greatest 
interest  and  excitement.  I  suggested  that  he  would  soon  be 
acknowledging  in  the  military  way  the  salutes.  The  whole  con 
versation  reminded  me  very  much  of  talks  on  similar  occasions 
with  the  Queen  of  Italy.  After  a  few  minutes  more  of  general 
conversation,  I  presented  the  different  members  of  the  Embassy 
in  turn,  but  she  only  granted  them  the  permission  of  kissing 
her  hand  and  said  nothing. 

The  incident  with  the  Ambassador  of ,  who  was  next 

to  me,  was  very  amusing.  It  is  extremely  difficult  for  anybody 
to  understand  him  —  he  has  a  neck  like  a  bull,  from  which  the 
words  never  are  entirely  articulated.  In  addition  to  that,  he 


246  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

is  about  knee-high  to  a  grass-hopper.  It  had  one  advantage 
that,  when  the  Empress  gave  him  her  hand,  he  was  able  to 
salute  it  without  leaning  over.  He  at  once,  after  making  the 
proper  salutations,  immediately,  evidently,  commenced  the  his 
tory  of  his  life.  The  Empress  looked  puzzled  and  his  First 
Secretary  looked  wild.  Still  the  account  went  on.  Three  times 
the  Empress  tried  to  break  away,  but  it  was  no  use.  His  head 
was  up  in  the  air  and  each  time  he  failed  to  see  the  proffered 
hand.  Finally,  while  he  was  catching  his  breath,  she  raised 
her  hand  and  moved  away,  and  the  incident  became  closed.  She 
merely  bowed  to  the  First  Secretary,  evidently  being  afraid  to 

approach   another ,  and   moved   off   to   Germany,  where 

stood  the  new  Ambassador,  von  Schoen. 

The  whole  reception  lasted  about  two  hours,  and  was 
without  any  further  marked  incident.  I  only  had  time  to  get 
back  to  St.  Petersburg,  change  my  clothes  and  return  to 
Tsarskoe  Selo  to  dine  with  the  Grand  Duke  Vladimir  again. 
Count  and  Countess  Benckendorff  were  there,  as  well  as  Hohen- 
lohe  and  the  members  of  the  household. 

To  President  Roosevelt 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  January  15,  1906. 
MY  DEAR  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

I  cabled  the  Department  last  week  concerning  the  nervous 
ness  of  the  French  Embassy  here  as  to  the  probable  demands  of 
the  German  Emperor  at  the  Morocco  Conference.  The  nervous 
ness  must  be  contagious,  because  even  Sir  Charles  Hardinge, 
who  has  presented  his  letters  of  recall,  and  Spring-Rice,  have 
also  become  worked  up.  It  is  quite  true  that  France  has  left 
no  stone  unturned  to  impress  Russia  and  the  Tsar  with  the 
importance  of  using  every  influence  to  urge  the  Emperor 
William  not  to  precipitate  a  crisis  at  Algeciras.  In  talking, 
within  the  last  two  days,  with  Prince  Fiirstenberg,  an  intimate 


me}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  247 

friend  of  the  German  Emperor,  he  assured  me  that  it  was  his 
belief  that  the  German  demands  would  not  be  excessive  and 
this  talk  of  war  was  uncalled  for.  Schoen,  the  new  Ambassador, 
who  has  lately  come  from  Berlin,  confirmed  this  impression.  I 
see  also  that  von  Billow  and  von  Radowitz  have  each  come  out 
publicly  with  a  statement,  on  the  12th  of  January,  to  the  effect 
that  neither  His  Majesty  the  Kaiser,  nor  anybody  else  in  Ger 
many,  dreams  of  exercising  the  slightest  pressure  upon  France 
at  the  expense  of  French  national  dignity.  The  question,  to  my 
mind,  that  may  cause  some  debate  is  the  question  of  policing. 
Should  matters  unexpectedly  get  strained,  I  am  satisfied  that 
you,  of  all  people,  could  have  the  greatest  moral  influence  with 
the  Emperor  and  with  the  French  Republic. 

Yesterday  being  the  Russian  1st  of  January,  the  Tsar 
and  the  Tsarina  received  the  Diplomatic  Corps  at  the  Alex 
andra  Palace  in  Tsarskoe  Selo.  The  Emperor  appeared  in  ex 
cellent  health,  notwithstanding  what  he  has  been  through  with 
regard  to  the  war  and  internal  affairs.  No  matter  how  black 
the  aspect  may  look  or  how  badly  things  are  mismanaged,  he 
has  a  sublime  faith  in  God  and  his  people,  not  at  all  appre 
ciating  that  God  prefers  to  help  those  who  try  to  help  them 
selves.  During  his  conversation  with  me,  which  was  very  cordial, 
he  said  that  on  our  New  Year's  day  he  had  received  a  very  nice 
cable  from  you,  which  he  appreciated,  and  added :  "  I  shall  never 
forget  all  your  President  has  done,"  and  later  repeated  it  with 
emphasis  and  impressed  me  that  he  really  meant  it  and  felt  it. 

By  the  same  courier  I  am  writing  a  letter  to  Mr.  Root, 
posting  him  as  to  the  present  conditions,  etc. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  Mr.  President, 

1  Respectfully  yours, 

'  GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER.' 


248  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V906 

To  Mrs.  Meyer 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  January  19,  1906. 

I  got  off  our  courier  with  the  pouch  last  Monday  evening. 
I  had  managed  to  get  half  an  hour's  exercise  in  the  morning 
skating  on  the  Fontanka  with  the  Princess  Fiirstenberg,  and 
when  I  got  home  found  a  telegram  from  Princess  Olga  Orloff 
asking  me  to  dine  there,  Tsarskoe  Selo,  Tuesday  night.  This 
I  was  unable  to  accept,  because  I  had  planned  to  go  off  that 
afternoon  bear-hunting.  I  left  by  the  three  o'clock  train  for 
Moscow,  and  got  off  at  a  station  about  four  hours  outside  of 
Petersburg.  There  I  found  a  couple  of  sleighs  waiting  for  me 
in  order  to  take  Otto1  and  myself  to  the  village  where  I  was  to 
pass  the  night.  The  sleighs  were  nothing  but  rough  peasant 
sleighs  with  hay  thrown  in  the  bottom.  The  horses  are  rigged 
up  like  a  tandem,  but  the  leader  is  guided  only  by  the  voice  and 
the  whip.  We  started  at  half-past  seven  at  night,  I  well 
wrapped  up  in  my  Russian  fur  coat  and  a  fur  rug  over  my  feet, 
which  were  enveloped  primarily  with  three  pairs  of  stockings 
and  long  felt  boots.  It  was  a  most  beautiful  drive,  not 
excessively  cold,  and  the  distance  we  had  to  cover  was  35  versts, 
or  about  25  English  miles.  We  drove  across  steppes  and  again 
through  forests,  with  some  of  the  tallest  trees  in  them  that  I 
have  ever  seen.  The  spruces  looked  as  though  they  were  pow 
dered  with  sugar,  and  there  being  no  wind,  the  beeches  and 
ashes  looked  as  though  they  had  baskets  of  snow  and  white 
balls  attached  to  them.  A  little  before  midnight  we  reached  our 
destination,  which  was  a  small  Dorf  consisting  of  half  a  dozen 
houses.  I  was  afraid  to  sleep  on  the  bed,  as  the  peasants  are 
supposed  not  to  change  their  shirts  until  they  are  ready  to  drop 
to  pieces;  so  I  had  some  hay  brought  in  and  thrown  on  the 
floor,  which  I  covered  with  my  fur  rug  and  wrapped  myself  up 
in  my  fur  coat,  which  comes  to  the  ground. 

i  His  chasseur. 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  249 

Next  morning  we  started  off  for  the  woods  where  the  bear 
was  supposed  to  be  located.  Fortunately  I  had  hunted  and 
shot  sanglier,  as  you  know,  with  the  King  of  Italy,  and  I  soon 
recognized  that  the  drive  and  beat  of  the  beaters  was  a  fake 
one,  so  I  sent  for  the  head  man  and  the  Jager  and  rated  them 
roundly  through  Otto  as  an  interpreter,  telling  them  that  I 
was  satisfied  that  there  was  no  bear  in  those  woods,  and  saying 
I  intended  to  return.  They  finally,  seeing  I  was  determined, 
acknowledged  that  the  owner  had  deceived  them.  It  was  a  put- 
up  job  in  order  to  get  me  to  put  out  money. 

When  we  got  back  to  our  sleigh,  the  beaters,  who  had 
consisted  of  forty  men  and  about  as  many  women,  got  very 
excited  and  evidently  used  threatening  language  to  Otto,  because 
they  were  not  satisfied  with  the  pay  that  the  Jager  said  was 
coming  to  them,  and  I  could  see  that  Otto  was  nervous.  It  is 
singular  how  indifferent  one  feels  when  one  has  a  loaded  pistol 
in  each  pocket  and  a  rifle  in  one's  lap.  They  saw  that  I  did 
not  appear  disturbed  and  merely  smiled,  and  finally  some  of 
them  began  to  smile,  and  so  I  told  Otto  to  pay  them  the  differ 
ence,  which  was  merely  ten  roubles,  the  full  amount  being  forty 
in  place  of  thirty,  to  be  distributed  among  eighty  people. 

Otto  then  got  into  his  sleigh  and  our  drivers  cracked 
their  whips  and  we  were  off  for  35  versts  more,  to  look  for 
another  bear.  I  noticed  my  driver  looked  around  several  times 
to  see  if  we  were  followed,  but  nothing  of  the  sort  occurred. 
This  time  I  was  sure  of  finding  a  bear,  because  I  had  taken 
the  precaution,  having  been  warned  by  Count  Nerod,  to  send 
Otto  (the  week  before)  to  ascertain  if  it  was  a  fact  that  the 
bear  had  been  located.  Count  Nerod  tells  me  that  this  trick 
has  been  played  before,  even  on  Russians.  I  only  made  the 
first  attempt  wishing  to  avoid  a  drive  of  70  versts  across 
country. 

Our  journey  led  us  through  some  wonderful  forest  roads, 


250  GEORGE  TON  L.  MEYER  I1906 

which  appeared  in  winter  like  private  avenues,  and  we  at  last 
reached  our  destination  at  five  o'clock,  pitch  dark.  It  was 
necessary  for  me  to  kill  the  time  in  a  primitive  peasant's  log 
cabin  until  seven  o'clock  next  morning.  The  chef  had  only 
put  up  in  a  basket  what  he  called  enough  food  for  one  day.  It 
consisted  of  a  quail,  a  chicken,  four  rolls,  a  small  piece  of  choco 
late,  and  a  tumbler  of  apple-sauce.  I  divided  it  up  so  that  it 
was  quite  sufficient.  The  food  that  the  peasants  eat  would 
be  impossible  to  taste  even,  and  they  don't  even  always  have 
sufficient.  I  again  slept  on  the  floor  and  was  disturbed  in  the 
night  by  feeling  what  I  think  was  a  rat  under  me,  and  got  up 
and  tried  to  sleep  on  three  chairs,  but  finally  went  back  to  the 
hay,  rat  or  no  rat.  Otto  came  in  and  called  me  at  what  I  sup 
posed  was  the  middle  of  the  night,  but  it  turned  out  to  be 
seven  A.M. 

At  a  quarter  of  eight,  after  a  frugal  breakfast,  we  were 
off  again,  driving  down  a  steep  forest  hill  which  I  did  not  know 
existed  in  this  part  of  Russia.  The  "  drive  "  was  again  arranged, 
and  this  time  it  was  evident  that  it  was  a  genuine  thing.  Finally 
I  could  hear  the  bear  coming  along,  but  could  not  see  him  on 
account  of  the  dense  wood.  He  suddenly  broke  through  the 
trees  right  beside  the  son  of  the  Jager,  who  turned  as  white  as 
the  snow  from  fear.  I  hesitated  a  moment  before  shooting,  as 
the  bear  was  practically  beside  the  boy.  I  fired  an  instant  after 
and  the  bear  dropped  within,  I  should  think,  three  feet  of  the 
boy.  I  rushed  forward,  but  fell  in  a  hole,  and  as  I  was  getting 
up  the  bear  got  up  and  made  away,  much  to  the  relief,  evi 
dently,  of  the  boy.  As  he  disappeared  I  fired  again  and 
wounded  him  for  a  second  time.  I  then  endeavoured  to  follow 
his  tracks,  which  were  marked  with  blood  and  showed  he  was 
going  on  three  legs.  The  Jager  said  that  he  would  not  be  able 
to  go  far,  and  as  it  was  almost  impossible  to  get  through  the 
woods,  I  retraced  my  steps,  and  then  shot  two  young  bears 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  251 

about  the  size  of  Newfoundland  dogs,  which  were  good-sized 
cubs  belonging  to  the  she-bear  I  had  wounded.  I  left  instruc 
tions  to  forward  the  big  bear  to  St.  Petersburg,  as  it  was  sure 
that  she  would  die  and  would  be  unable  to  get  any  distance  with 
two  rifle  holes  through  her,  one  near  the  front  shoulder  and 
one  in  the  back.  We  had  a  long  drive  of  seventy  versts  before 
us,  and  it  took  us  from  *en  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  six  in 
the  evening,  when  I  just  caught  the  train  to  St.  Petersburg, 
having  been  away  two  days. 

[Diary] 

ff  January  19.  —  Courier  arrives  from  Berlin  with 
letters  from  the  family,  the  State  Department,  and 
Lodge.  He  said  the  President  was  talking  with  him 
as  to  whom  to  send  in  my  place  when  I  entered  his 
Cabinet! 

"  I  wrote  Lodge  that  of  events  outside  of  St.  P., 
they  knew  them  through  the  press  in  Washington  24 
to  48  hours  before  we  did  here,  due  to  the  interrupted 
post  and  telegraph  connections  and  the  suppression 
of  the  press;  that  in  no  case  had  any  Consulate  been 
disturbed  in  any  city,  and  that  these  disturbances  were 
not  directed  against  foreigners,  or  the  Diplomatic 
Corps  as  in  Pekin,  but  were  for  reforms  or  even  a 
republic,  and  that  a  diplomat  could  only  look  on.  If 
I  were  fighting  for  my  country  or  endeavouring  to 
carry  out  some  policy,  I  should  feel  compensated  for 
being  separated  from  my  family.  ..." 

fe  January  24.  —  A  party  of  us  go  to  Yukki  for 
lunch  and  skiing.  We  have  taken  a  small  house  and 
made  a  sort  of  Club  out  of  it.  They  have  made  me 


252  GEORGE  vox  L.  MEYER  V906 

the  president  and  Csekonics  secretary.  It  is  about 
half  an  hour  on  the  railroad  to  Finland,  and  then 
another  half  over  in  sleighs.  We  all  took  lunch  with 
us.  It  is  quite  difficult  going  down  the  steep  hills,  and 
then  most  tiresome  climbing  up  again.  The  women 
and  men  had  some  amusing  falls,  but  one  is  especially 
dressed  for  it,  with  felt  shoes  and  leather  breeches 
and  jacket.  The  party  consisted  of  the  Ramsays, 
Belosselsky,  Hohenlohe,  Schoen,  Aguera,  Wrangel, 
etc. 

"  An  extraordinary  plot  was  discovered  in  Mos 
cow.  The  daughter  of  the  late  General  Count  Keller 
and  niece  of  Countess  Kleinmichel,  my  landlady, 
was  discovered,  in  the  house  of  a  nobleman  named 
Oznobishin,  to  be  in  possession  of  several  bombs  of 
great  explosive  power  and  infernal  machines.  In  a 
muff  was  found  a  paper  planning  to  kill  Governor 
General  Dubassoff,  the  Police  Prefet  and  the  City 
Governor,  and  their  houses  were  to  be  blown  up  at 
the  same  time  by  infernal  machines.  There  were  to 
be  in  addition  six  bomb-throwers.  It  turns  out  that 
the  lady  is  not  the  daughter  of  General  Keller. 

ef  January  SO.  —  Have  my  audience  at  3  o'clock 
with  the  Grand  Duke  Constantine,  and  later  with  the 
Duchess  in  the  Marble  Palace.  The  Grand  Duke  said 
my  name  was  very  German,  and  that  he  had  met  one 
of  my  relatives  in  one  of  the  courts  of  Germany 
where  he  was  the  Master  of  Ceremonies.  He  also 
spoke  of  his  trip  to  America  with  the  Grand  Duke 
Alexis  in  a  naval  vessel,  and  that  he  had  enjoyed  it 
very  much.  I  spoke  of  his  translation  of  Shakespeare 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  253 

into  Russian,  and  he  told  me  that  it  had  taken  him 
twelve  years.  The  Grand  Duchess  asked  all  about  the 
education  of  girls  and  boys  in  America,  and  [said] 
how  she  regretted  the  lack  of  exercise  and  outdoor 
sports  for  children  here.  She  was  most  agreeable  and 
struck  me  as  very  un-Russian. 

"January  31.  —  Paid  my  respects  yesterday  after 
noon  to  Lovenorn,  the  Danish  Minister,  on  account  of 
the  death  of  the  King  of  Denmark.1  In  my  interview 
with  Lamsdorff,  he  said  that  he  was  very  glad  for  the 
Empress  [Dowager]  that  she  had  decided  to  remain 
through  January  in  Denmark,  as  it  would  always  have 
been  a  matter  of  remorse  to  her  if  she  had  not  been 
with  her  father,  the  King,  during  his  last  moments, 
and  then  added  what  an  ideal  death  it  was.  About  an 
hour  before  death  he  had  felt  weary  so  that  they  put 
him  to  bed,  and  a  little  later  he  expired  without  any 
pain. 

"  I  also  requested  Lamsdorff  to  see  if  he  could  not 
find  out  if  the  Japanese  prisoners  had  been  returned, 
and  the  plans  of  the  mines  in  eastern  waters,  now  that 
communications  had  been  opened  with  Linevich  and 
Vladivostok. 

"  The  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  told  me  that 
mourning  for  the  Court  here  had  been  prescribed  for 
three  months  on  account  of  King  Christian  being  the 
Grandfather  of  the  Emperor.  If  he  had  been  no  blood 
relation,  it  would  have  been  one  month.  I  told  him 
of  my  experiences  bear-shooting,  and  he  said  formerly 
he  had  very  good  shooting  within  60  versts  of  St.  P.; 

i  Christian  IX,  died  January  29. 


254  GEORGE  vox  L.  MEYER 

if  he  only  had  them  now,  he  would  have  offered  them 
to  me  —  for  which  I  thanked  him." 

To  his  Daughter  Julia 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  February  13,  1Q06. 

.  .  .  Quite  a  number  of  people  have  taken  to  skating 
every  morning  on  the  Fontanka.  We  do  fancy  skating  and 
waltzing.  The  young  Countess  Benckendorff,  daughter  of  the 
Russian  Ambassador  to  London,  and  Baroness  Ramsay  are 
exceptionally  good.  Last  Sunday  we  all  went  out  to  Yukki, 
spent  the  day  and  lunched  in  our  little  datcha.  Everybody 
brings  something  for  lunch,  and  the  things  taste  exceptionally 
good  after  skiing  and  climbing  up  the  hill. 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  an  official  dinner  at  the  Austrian 
Embassy,  given  for  Schoen,  the  new  German  Ambassador.  I 
met  a  number  of  Russian  officials,  some  of  them  very  agreeable 
and  interesting.  One  interested  me  exceedingly,  as  after  dinner, 
having  grown  a  little  mellow  from  the  numerous  wines  that  were 
served,  his  tongue  became  untied  and  he  showed  how  the  Rus 
sians  really  feel  about  the  war.  He  said  war  never  would  have 
taken  place  but  for  England  and  America,  and  that  Witte 
should  never  have  given  up  half  of  Sakhaline!  Whether  he 
really  knew  that  that  was  settled  by  the  Tsar  and  myself,  I 
don't  know,  but  in  his  entire  talk  he  was  neither  rude  nor 
offensive.  It  interested  me  very  much  to  get  his  real  impression 
and  feeling  upon  the  subject,  because  it  is  the  first  direct  case 
that  I  have  experienced.  When  I  said  to  him,  "  Of  course  the 
world  realizes  that  Japan  would  never  have  dared  to  declare 
war  but  for  her  alliance  with  England,  but  in  what  way  did 
America  assist  Japan?"  "Oh,"  he  said,  "with  money,  ships, 
and  urging  her  on."  When  I  called  his  attention  to  the  fact 
that  that  was  never  done  officially  by  the  government,  but  by  the 
independent  press  of  America,  influenced  by  the  fact  that 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  255 

Cassini  would  never  state  that  Russia  would  ensure  the  open 
door  in  Manchuria,  his  answer  to  it  all  was  that  Cassini  was  a 
fool,  and  that  the  press  had  undoubtedly  been  influenced  by  the 
Jews,  who  were  always  acting  in  whatever  they  thought  would 
be  best  for  their  moneyed  interests.  The  Russian  always  puts 
the  blame  on  some  one  else,  and  never  learns  by  experience. 

To  Senator  Lodge 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  February  14,  1906. 
DEAR  CABOT,  — 

.  .  .  Russia  now  is  beginning  to  get  very  nervous  over 
the  Morocco  Conference,  because  on  that  outcome  a  great  deal 
depends  as  to  their  getting  a  further  credit  and  increased  loans 
both  in  Paris  and  Berlin.  Schoen,  the  German  Ambassador, 
the  other  day  told  me  that  they  would  not  be  satisfied  to  allow 
France  and  Spain  to  do  the  policing  jointly.  With  the  open 
door  and  the  bank  question  settled,  it  was  a  matter  of  indiffer 
ence  to  Germany  if  everything  else  remained  in  statu  quo. 

All  the  Ambassadors  here  get  copies  of  the  correspondence 
that  is  going  on  with  their  governments  as  to  this  question,  and 
in  other  important  questions,  but  the  American  Ambassador  is 
kept  in  blissful  ignorance.  This  I  do  not  say  in  criticism  of 
Mr.  Root,  as  I  have  the  greatest  respect  and  admiration  for  his 
ability.  Heretofore,  when  we  were  not  a  world-power,  it  was 
of  no  great  importance  whether  our  representatives  were  kept 
au  courant  or  not,  as  they  only  had  to  look  after  any  matter 
which  might  refer  to  their  own  country;  but  in  the  future,  if 
they  are  to  hold  a  dignified  position  in  the  eyes  of  their  col 
leagues,  the  system  of  keeping  our  representatives  informed  will 
have  to  conform  to  some  extent  with  those  of  the  other  great 
powers.  I  talked  this  matter  over  with  Mr.  Root,  and  he  agreed 
with  me  and  fully  appreciated  it;  but  I  imagine  that  with  all 
that  is  going  on  at  home,  it  has  been  impossible  for  him  as  yet 


256  GEORGE  vox  L.  MEYER 

to  change  the  old  methods  which  he  found  in  vogue  in  the  State 
Department. 

I  read  your  speech  made  in  the  Senate  in  defense  of  the 
President  and  the  San  Domingo  Treaty,  as  well  as  the  Morocco 
Conference,  with  a  great  deal  of  interest  and  pride.  To  my 
mind  your  argument  was  unanswerable.  I  was  also  very  glad  to 
learn  from  you  that  there  is  no  real  friction  between  the  Senate 
and  the  President.  From  the  accounts  in  the  Paris  New  York 
Herald,  you  would  think  they  were  at  daggers  drawn. 

Spring-Rice  lunched  with  me  to-day  and  he  seems  almost 
alarmed  over  the  Morocco  question.  He  fears  that  Germany 
may  irritate  France  so  that  public  sentiment  may  get  so 
aroused  that  it  will  force  her  into  attacking  Germany.  I  take, 
personally,  a  less  alarming  view  of  the  situation,  because  I 
think  Germany  at  heart  does  not  really  want  war,  and  that  no 
nation  will  go  blindly  into  attacking  another  in  these  days, 
after  England's  experience  with  the  Boers  and  Russia's  unfor 
tunate  results  with  Japan.  The  expense  is  so  overwhelming 
and  the  drains  so  terrible  on  any  country  now,  no  matter  how 
great  its  resources  may  be.  There  is  no  doubt  that  Germany 
is  taking  advantage  of  Russia's  weakness  and  Austria's  internal 
troubles  in  order  to  force  France's  hand.  While  Rouvier  re 
mains  Premier,  I  think  France  will  steer  clear  of  any  actual 
combat. 

The  meeting  of  the  Duma  is  now  being  talked  of  as  pos 
sibly  taking  place  early  in  May,  but  Russians  hate  to  work  in 
summer  most  of  all,  therefore  people  think  that,  if  it  does  meet, 
it  will  only  organize  and  adjourn  at  once  until  the  autumn. 

Agrarian  troubles  continue  in  different  parts  of  Russia 
and  land-owners  are  much  discouraged  over  the  situation,  be 
cause  it  is  not  known  yet  whether  or  not  the  peasants  will  con 
sent  to  till  the  soil  without  a  further  distribution  of  land. 
Business  is  at  a  stand-still,  manufacturing  companies  are  work- 


1906]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  257 

ing  their  mills  with  about  20  to  40  per  cent  of  the  usual  number 
of  workmen.  All  the  prisons  are  said  to  be  full  and  revolu 
tionists  are  being  sent  to  Siberia.  The  City  of  St.  Petersburg 
remains  apparently  tranquil,  and  little  or  no  news  gets  into  the 
papers,  as  the  censorship  is  nearly  as  severe,  in  some  respects, 
as  in  former  times.  There  is  a  rumour  that  Russia  has  a  secret 
treaty  with  China  as  regards  parts  of  Turkestan,  granting  her 
large  concessions,  but  I  have  not  been  able  to  get  it  actually 
corroborated.  I  have  turned  over  the  effects  of  the  Japanese 
Legation  to  the  Third  Secretary  who  has  arrived  here,  and  the 
Minister  is  to  follow  him  early  in  March.  This  relieves  us  of  a 
great  deal  of  work. 

[Diary] 

ff  February  16.  —  Call  on  Madame  Witte  with  the 
Austrian  Ambassador,  Baron  d'Aehrenthal.  They  are 
living  in  an  end  of  the  Winter  Palace.  She  was  never 
received  at  Court  until  last  autumn.  He  was  made  a 
Count  and  became  Premier.  She  is,  I  believe,  over 
50,  but  has  considerable  charm  of  manner  and  is  more 
like  a  French  woman  than  a  Russian  in  her  manner 
of  speaking  and  moving  her  hands.  She  appeared  to 
day  extremely  well  and  talked  most  agreeably  and 
with  much  spirit.  She  referred  to  the  newspapers, 
how  they  exaggerated  and  put  all  sorts  of  things  in 
the  paper.  She  was  originally  a  Jewess  and  she  re 
lated  an  anecdote  which  seemed  to  amuse  her  as  well 
as  us.  A  certain  Princess  called  on  her  the  other  day 
and  asked  if  it  was  true  that  she  had  turned  orthodox. 
Madame  Witte  replied,  '  Yes.'  *  I  suppose  it  was  for 
political  reasons.'  '  Yes.'  And  the  old  Princess  went 


258  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

off  satisfied.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Madame  Witte  in 
formed  us  that  she  had  become  orthodox  twenty-four 
years  ago,  after  she  had  married  her  first  husband." 

To  Judge  Francis  C.  Lowell 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  February  19,  1906. 
MY  DEAR  FRANK,  — 

Your  interesting  letter  of  January  22nd  duly  received. 
Moran  1  must  be  a  thorn  in  the  Governor's  side,  but  I  think  he 
will  turn  out  merely  to  be  the  comet  of  the  season. 

The  copy  of  the  Atlantic  Monthly  2  reached  me  about  a  day 
after  your  letter,  and  I  read  your  article  with  a  great  deal  of 
pleasure.  I  quite  agree  with  your  conclusion,  but  would  add 
even  still  another  reason,  that  if  we  had  men  in  the  service  per 
manently,  many  of  them  would  become  un-American,  due  to 
the  modes  and  habits  of  life  being  so  absolutely  different  from 
ours.  Our  diplomats  would  also  get  out  of  touch  with  American 
ideas  and  sentiment,  as  we  progress  so  much  more  rapidly  at 
home,  and  our  objects  and  aims  in  life  are  so  very  different. 
The  English  of  late  years  have  been  adopting  a  system  of 
appointing  ambassadors  occasionally  from  the  Foreign  Office, 
and  then  again,  at  other  times,  taking  secretaries  and  recalling 
them  to  do  active  service  in  the  Foreign  Office  in  London.  This 
system  has  many  advantages,  as  it  has  men  in  the  Foreign  Office 
thoroughly  familiar  with  the  customs  and  habits  of  the  foreign 
courts,  and  cabinets.  In  your  grouping  of  prominent  American 
diplomats  you  placed  Andrew  D.  White  in  a  class,  to  my  mind, 
far  above  his  attainments,  as  I  have  always  considered  him  a 
much  over-estimated  man  and  without  much  tact.  I  think  he 
showed  very  bad  taste  in  publishing  his  memoirs  and  making 

1  John  B.  Moran,  District  Attorney  at  Boston. 

2  For  January,  1906,  containing  an  article  on  "  American  Diplomacy  " 
by  Judge  Lowell. 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  259 

personal  criticisms  within  a  few  years  after  he  had  resigned 
from  the  service.  It  is  contrary  to  all  regulations  and  custom, 
and  sometimes  makes  it  embarrassing  to  his  successors.  I  do 
not  think  they  should  have  been  published  until  at  least  after  his 
death,  or  a  proper  time  had  elapsed.  .  .  .  Many  of  the 
things  which  he  describes  and  relates  about  Russia  are  incorrect, 
as  I  have  found  from  personal  observation  and  experience.  His 
articles  on  Berlin  and  Germany,  were,  however,  excellent,  and 
showed  a  familiar  and  correct  knowledge  of  what  he  was 
describing. 

I  was  quite  amused  at  your  referring  to  my  abode  as  a 
palace.  The  house  is  about  the  size  of  the  Fred  Ames  house  in 
Boston.  I  have  an  apartment  up  one  flight,  with  a  Russian 
family  living  underneath  me  and  two  above  me.  I  remember 
seeing  a  photograph  in  one  of  the  American  papers  of  one  of 
the  ducal  palaces;  underneath  it  was  written,  "  The  Palace  of 
the  American  Ambassador."  Hence  I  suppose  the  idea  which  has 
got  abroad  of  my  supposed  palatial  residence.  This  is  on  a 
par  with  many  of  the  misrepresentations  and  exaggerations 
sent  out  from  Russia ! 

To  his  Daughter  Alice 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  February  20,  1906. 

I  got  your  letter  last  week  and  was  delighted  to  see  that 
you  had  been  enjoying  yourself.  You  must  have  made  some 
progress  also  in  skating  this  winter.  I  myself  skate  regularly 
every  morning,  and  have  got  quite  a  number  of  people  to  take 
it  up  also. 

Sunday  the  Chefs  de  Mission  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps 
were  invited  to  attend  the  requiem  held  in  the  private  chapel  of 
the  Great  Palace  at  Tsarskoe  Selo.  We  left  on  a  special  train 
at  11.10,  arriving  in  Tsarskoe  at  a  quarter  to  twelve.  At  the 
station  were  a  great  number  of  royal  carriages,  one  of  which 


260  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

was  assigned  to  each  Ambassador,  but  only  one  to  every  two 
Ministers.  In  the  ante-chamber  of  the  palace,  adjoining  the 
chapel,  all  the  dignitaries  and  officers  attached  to  the  Emperor 
and  to  the  Grand  Duke  were  assembled,  waiting  our  arrival  and 
that  of  the  royal  family.  It  was  a  very  brilliant  sight,  for 
they  were  all  in  uniform,  wearing  every  decoration  that  they 
possessed.  We  marched  through  the  hall  to  the  chapel.  There 
are  no  seats  or  chairs,  and  we  were  assigned  to  one  side  with 
a  few  of  the  highest  officials  at  the  end. 

At  twelve  o'clock  the  Master  of  Ceremonies  rapped  his 
cane  on  the  floor  three  times  and  the  doors  at  the  end  of  the 
hall  were  thrown  open,  and  the  Emperor  and  Empress  entered, 
followed  by  the  Grand  Duchess  Pierre  Nicolaievitch,  sister  of  the 
Queen  of  Italy,  and  the  Duchess  of  Leuchtenberg,  also  her  sister. 
After  them  followed  the  Grand  Duke  Vladimir,  Nicolas  Nicolaie 
vitch,  Pierre  Nicolaievitch,  Nicolas  Michailovitch,  George 
Michailovitch,  and  the  Duke  of  Leuchtenberg.  They  assembled 
on  the  other  side  of  the  chapel,  opposite  to  the  Ambassadors. 

The  Empress  was  all  in  black  and  looked  very  handsome, 
as  it  becomes  her  more  than  any  color.  The  Emperor,  however, 
I  did  not  think  looked  as  well  as  when  I  saw  him  a  month  ago. 
The  chapel  is  in  bright  blue  and  gold,  rococo  style,  a  decoration 
which  I  do  not  at  all  care  for.  The  service  was  conducted  by 
six  high  priests  in  rich  robes  and  caps  resembling  cardinals' 
hats.  The  service  was  all  chanted,  assisted  by  a  choir  of  men 
and  boys,  beautifully  trained,  and  greatly  superior  to  any 
church  music  that  I  heard  while  in  Rome.  The  service  lasted 
about  half  an  hour.  In  the  middle  of  it,  candles  were  handed 
round  to  each  one  of  us,  being  lighted  from  that  of  the  priest, 
and  we  held  them  until  the  end  of  the  service.  You  cannot 
imagine  what  a  strange  sight  it  was,  with  the  little  Chinaman 
holding  a  lighted  taper  and  looking  as  though  he  was  wondering 
what  it  all  meant. 


1906]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  261 

It  was  a  most  brilliant  and  impressive  sight  and  one  long 
to  be  remembered.  At  the  end  of  the  service  the  Emperor  and 
Empress  marched  out,  followed  by  the  Grand  Dukes  and  Duch 
esses.  We  followed  a  moment  afterwards  and  assembled  in  one 
of  the  large  banquet  halls  on  the  floor  above,  where  a  breakfast 
was  served  at  which  the  Princess  Galitzine  and  Baron  Korff, 
Acting  Master  of  Ceremonies,  presided.  There  were  twenty- 
eight  Chefs  de  Mission,  so  that  we  sat  down  thirty  at  table,  in 
the  form  of  a  horse-shoe.  On  the  right  and  left  of  the  Princess 
Galitzine,  were  the  Turkish  and  Austrian  Ambassadors;  I  sat 
on  the  right  of  the  latter,  and  next  beyond  me  was  the  German 
Ambassador.  Baron  Korff  sat  opposite  the  Princess,  with  the 
French  and  Italian  Ambassadors  on  each  side  of  him.  The 
breakfast  was,  sensibly,  a  short  one  and  excellently  served. 
After  a  short  talk,  during  which  the  Princess  asked  after  Ma 
and  you  and  Julia  and  when  you  would  be  back,  we  returned 
to  the  station,  reaching  Petersburg  about  half-past  three.  It 
was  a  wonderful  bright,  sunny  day,  such  as  we  have  in  New 
England. 

I  sleighed  out  in  the  afternoon  to  Krestovsky  to  see  the 
Belosselskys,  and  after  that  returned  to  St.  Petersburg  and 
called  on  the  Princess  Troubetzkoy.  She  was  leaving  the  next 
day  for  Moscow  to  meet  her  husband,  who  has  been  in  the  war 
and  whom  she  has  not  seen  for  over  a  year.  She  is  considered 
by  some  the  handsomest  woman  in  St.  Petersburg.  She  was  a 
Princess  Dolgorouky  —  I  don't  think  you  met  her  when  you 
were  here. 

I  can't  tell  you  how  much  we  all  enjoy  our  little  club  at 
Yukki,  where  we  try  to  go  twice  a  week.  It  is  real  work  and 
exercise  climbing  up  the  hills  after  one  has  skiied  down  rapidly, 
and  as  the  darky  said,  it  does  one  "  a  power  of  good." 

To-night  the  Belosselskys  are  going  to  dine  with  me 
informally,  only  Hohenlohe  and  Bliss,  and  to-morrow  night  I  am 


262  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

giving  a  dinner  to  the  Grand  Duke  Vladimir,  chez  moi,  with 
zakuskis  galore  before  dinner. 

I  wish  you  were  all  here  with  me  and  am  looking  forward 
to  seeing  you  again  in  May. 

[Diary] 

"February  24.  —  Meet  the  Austrian  Ambassador 
on  the  Quay,  and  get  out  of  sleigh  to  join  him;  he 
informs  me  confidentially  that  his  Foreign  Office  has 
communicated  to  the  Foreign  Office  in  Berlin,  offering 
their  friendly  offices  to  bring  about  an  understanding 
on  the  two  disputed  points  at  the  Algeciras  Conference 
between  France  and  Germany  —  but  with  no  results 
as  yet.  D'Aehrenthal  seemed  to  think  that  the  outlook 
was  discouraging.  I  claimed  that  the  Tsar  was  in  a 
position  to  approach  the  Emperor  personally  as  no 
other  person  could.  It  was  the  Emperor's  amour 
propre  which  had  to  be  considered. 

"  Later  called  at  the  German  Embassy,  on  Schoen, 
nominally  to  talk  about  the  claim  of  a  German  firm  in 
Odessa  in  which  one  of  the  partners  was  an  American 
citizen  (naturalized)  and  owned  10  per  cent  interest. 
We  agreed  to  act  together  in  the  matter.  Then,  in 
referring  to  the  Morocco  Conference,  he  spoke  of 
French  nervousness,  and  added  that  they  try  to  make 
out  that  it  has  become  a  personal  matter  of  the  Em 
peror's,  which  is  not  so.  Germany  was  placing  it  on 
international  grounds  and  broad  principles.  I  send  a 
cable  to  the  State  Department  about  the  Austrian  For 
eign  Office  making  offer  to  the  German  Foreign  Office 
to  intercede,  and  that  there  was  a  possibility  that  the 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  263 

Tsar  might  cable  personally  to  the  German  Emperor, 
as  Russia  was  disturbed  over  the  aspect  of  the 
Morocco  Conference. 

ff  February  26.  —  Ukase  has  been  published  to-day 
saying  that  the  Duma  will  meet  on  May  10. 

"  Lunch  with  the  Austrian  Ambassador,  d'Aehren- 
thal,  and  afterwards  we  call  on  the  French  Ambassador 
personally  and  together. 

"  D'Aehrenthal  thought  that  we  might  get  the  lat 
est  news  of  the  Morocco  Conference,  but  Bompard 
told  us  that  he  received  nothing  to-day  as  yet.  He 
said  France  had  made  concessions;  that  she  no  sooner 
does  this  than  Germany  makes  some  new  demands; 
that  she  was  now  trying  to  make  the  Bank  an  inter 
national  one  and  would  not  accept  French  and  Spanish 
officers  to  regulate  the  police  of  the  ports,  which  was 
necessary  for  the  safety  of  foreigners.  France  would 
make  no  more  concessions.  The  whole  trouble  was 
that  the  Emperor  of  Germany  had  personally  taken 
such  a  prominent  part  in  this  entire  question  that  his 
amour  propre  was  at  stake  and  everything  depended 
upon  him  personally  now." 

To  President  Roosevelt 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  March  1,  1Q06. 
MY  DEAE  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

Thanks  for  your  letter  of  February  1.  I  can  well  appre 
ciate,  even  at  this  distance,  that  you  are  "  having  difficulties  of 
your  own,"  and  McKinley  well  expressed  it  when  he  said  "  Gov 
ernment  is  always  a  crisis."  No  one  knows  that  better  than 
the  Tsar. 


264  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

The  feeling  at  the  Foreign  Office  and  among  the  leading 
diplomats  here  is  that  if  the  Morocco  Conference  comes  to  a 
dead-lock,  you  are  the  man  to  be  the  arbiter.  Count  Bencken- 
dorff,  Russian  Ambassador  at  London,  called  on  me  last  Sun 
day  afternoon.  He  discussed  the  Algeciras  Conference  and  said 
that  they  were  worried  over  the  outlook,  asking  what  could  be 
done.  This  gave  me  the  opportunity  to  say  to  him  that  his 
Emperor  was  the  man,  on  account  of  the  relationship  existing 
between  him  and  his  brother-Emperor;  that  he  had  a  special 
private  code  which  permitted  him  to  personally  advise  and  urge 
the  German  Emperor,  privately,  to  lessen  his  demands  or  leave 
them  to  arbitration.  "  Yes,"  replied  the  Ambassador,  "  but  we 
must  consider  what  his  answer  might  be."  But  that  objection 
Benckendorff  was  obliged  to  withdraw  when  I  called  to  his 
attention  that  the  German  Emperor  did  not  stop  to  consider 
that  when  he  advised  the  Tsar  to  make  peace.  The  Count  then 
asked  me  if  my  President  would  consent  to  act  as  arbiter,  add 
ing,  "  All  the  world  respects  him,  and  it  is  well  known  that  the 
German  Emperor  admires  him."  I  assured  Benckendorff  that 
I  could  not  answer  that  either  officially  or  even  unofficially.  I 
suspected  that  he  had  been  sent  to  me  by  the  Foreign  Office, 
and  found  out  afterwards,  on  pretty  good  authority,  that  my 
inference  was  correct. 

Of  course  the  Russians  did  not  go  ahead  in  the  right  way. 
Instead  of  letting  the  Emperor  act  quietly  on  his  own  volition, 
Lamsdorff,  being  afraid  that  the  German  Emperor  might  not 
accept  his  Emperor's  suggestion,  made  advances  through  their 
Ambassador  in  Berlin,  and  von  Billow,  it  is  said,  turned  him 
down. 

Russia  is  especially  concerned,  for  the  reason  that  they 
are  in  great  need  of  a  large  loan,  and  without  a,  satisfactory 
termination  of  the  Algeciras  Conference  it  will  be  impossible  to 


1906)  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  265 

float  one  in  Paris  and  Berlin,  and  it  may  mean  an  inflation  of 
paper  currency  and  a  departure  from  the  gold  basis. 

I  have  been  much  impressed  with  the  investigations  of 
the  insurance  companies  in  New  York  and  the  amount  of  money 
that  individuals  have  had  at  their  disposal. 

One  of  the  great  questions  in  coming  presidential  elec 
tions  is  the  campaign  fund,  and  yet  it  is  a  necessity  with  our 
eighty  millions  of  inhabitants  and  our  ever-increasing  number 
of  naturalized  citizens.  They  enjoy  the  privilege  of  voting, 
and  a  campaign  of  education,  as  it  were,  should  be  carried  on 
at  each  presidential  election.  I  wish  you  would  consider  the 
advisability  and  possibility  of  recommending  a  million  dollars 
being  appropriated  by  Congress  for  each  presidential  election, 
to  be  divided  between  the  parties.  This  would  be  much  more 
democratic  and  would  stop  the  cry  of  the  populace  that  cor 
porations  are  controlling  elections  by  their  subscriptions  to 
the  campaign  fund.  The  act  could  so  be  drawn  as  to  impose  a 
severe  fine  on  any  individual  soliciting  campaign  subscriptions 
from  any  corporation,  and  the  same  fine  on  the  corporation 
making  the  subscription.  It  would  permit  the  two  parties  to 
start  the  campaign  on  an  equal  footing;  and  after  the  election 
a  detailed  statement  of  expenses  should  be  furnished  to  the 
proper  authorities.  This  may  appear  Utopian,  but  possibly 
you  can  thrash  something  practical  out  of  it,  as  I  believe  it  is 
the  psychological  moment  for  such  a  reform. 
'  Respectfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 


[Diary] 

"March  9.  —  It  looks  better  to-day  for  a  final 
arrangement  of  the  Morocco  situation.  Now  that  Ger 
many  has  had  a  favourable  vote  in  the  Reichstag  for 


266  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

six  new  battleships  and  five  armoured  cruisers,  she 
will  probably  be  more  willing  to  meet  French  views  if 
France  makes  some  concessions  as  to  the  bank. 

"  The  Japanese  Minister,  Motono,  recently  ap 
pointed,  arrives  from  Paris,  where  he  has  been  Min 
ister.  I  sent  Bliss,  Second  Secretary,  to  the  station  to 
meet  him.  He  reported  him  as  a  small  man,  speaks 
French  like  a  Parisian.  Expressed  his  appreciation  of 
all  the  Embassy  had  done. 

"March  15.  —  Go  over  the  Imperial  stables  in 
order  to  see  the  horses,  with  Baron  Huene.  There  are 
about  500  in  all,  counting  those  at  Tsarskoe  Selo  also. 
Some  of  the  Arabs  and  stallions  are  very  fine,  but  as 
coach  horses  for  state  carriages  they  were  not  equal 
to  the  King  of  Italy's. 

"  Lunch  with  the  Huenes,  and  after  a  heavy  meal 
go  back  to  the  stables  in  order  to  see  the  carriages, 
harnesses,  etc.  I  left  at  4  o'clock,  quite  tired  out. 
There  was  a  strong  smell  of  ammonia.  The  Russians 
are  afraid  of  ventilation  and  have  not  studied  drainage. 

"March  17.  —  Maurice  Baring  lunches  with  me. 
He  was  at  Moscow  through  all  the  troubles  and  revo 
lution.  The  real  leaders  had  not  intended  that  it 
should  start  at  that  time,  but  it  got  beyond  them  and 
broke  out  without  being  properly  organized.  The 
movement  counted  on  the  troops  in  Moscow  joining, 
at  least  to  some  extent.  In  this  they  were  disap 
pointed,  and  [that]  was  the  cause  of  the  failure  of  the 
movement. 

"  Regarding  the  present  elections  for  the  Duma,  at 
Moscow  the  labourers  were  showing  very  little  inter- 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  267 

est;  the  peasant  member  had  been  arrested  by  the 
police  and  thrown  into  prison  because  he  had  made  a 
very  sensible  speech  which  created  some  enthusiasm, 
and  therefore  the  police  considered  that  he  was  dan 
gerous!  The  power  which  the  police  have  while  at 
tending  elections  is  bound  to  be  outrageously  abused. 

"March  18.  —  Dinner  given  by  Count  Lamsdorff 
at  the  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs.  It  was  supposed 
to  be  in  honour  of  the  Japanese  Minister,  but  Bompard 
sat  on  Lamsdorff 's  right  and  I  on  his  left;  opposite 
Lamsdorff  was  Prince  Obolensky,  who,  I  have  always 
felt,  is  not  over  friendly  to  America;  on  his  right  was 
the  Spanish  Ambassador,  and  on  his  left  Motono  from 
Japan.  It  was  a  very  trying  moment  for  the  Japa 
nese  Minister,  as  he  arrived  after  practically  all  the 
guests  were  assembled.  The  Russians  were  not  lack 
ing  in  courtesy  to  him,  but  very  formal  with  the  excep 
tion  of  Witte  and  Lamsdorff,  the  former  having  a  long 
talk  with  Motono  after  dinner.  Practically  all  the 
members  of  the  Cabinet  were  present,  with  the  Master 
of  Ceremonies  of  the  Court.  Dournovo,1  who  was 
beside  the  Spanish  Ambassador,  I  think,  had  some 
difficulty  in  understanding  him.  There  was  too  much 
food  and  not  very  well  selected,  and  a  quantity  of  dif 
ferent  wines.  Lamsdorff  whispered  to  me  towards  the 
end  of  the  dinner,  '  The  Frenchman  does  not  even  eat 
his  own  dishes  or  drink  his  wine.'  This  evidently  pro 
voked  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  in  that  the 
French  Ambassador  showed  so  little  appreciation  of 
the  good  things  which  were  offered. 

i  Minister  of  the  Interior. 


268  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V906 

"  Attended  the  horse  show,  which  was  very  good, 
especially  the  Cossacks,  who  ride  marvellously  well. 

"April  4.  —  Call  on  Lamsdorff,  it  being  his  offi 
cial  reception  day.  He  happened  to  be  quite  com 
municative,  very  rare  for  him,  concerning  the  famous 
Temps  article  which  printed  his  now  famous  instruc 
tions  to  Cassini  at  Algeciras.  It  seems  that  a  few  min 
utes  after  Nelidow,  Russian  Ambassador  at  Paris,  had 
received  an  official  copy,  he  was  talking  with  a  French 
gentleman  in  his  Embassy  about  the  alliance  between 
Russia  and  France,  and  as  proof  of  Russia's  fidelity 
to  France  mentioned  the  recent  instructions  to  Cas 
sini.  This  same  gentleman  went  direct  to  the  Temps 
office,  and  they  were  published  so  promptly  that  Bour 
geois,  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  read  them  in 
the  Temps  before  he  saw  the  official  copy.  Germany 
at  once  took  offense  and  asked  for  an  explanation. 
Lamsdorff  gave  the  above,  and  said,  as  a  proof  that 
the  original  had  not  been  given  out,  that  they  were  an 
imperfect  version. 

"April  5.  —  Constitutional  Democrats  carry  the 
election  in  Petersburg,  elect  all  their  candidates. 

"  Witte  tells  a  friend  that  he  expects  any  day  that 
an  attempt  will  be  made  on  his  life.  Letters  from 
Alice  tell  of  her  talk  with  Mrs.  Cowles,  which  were 
complimentary,  of  what  her  brother,  the  President,  had 
said  —  that  I  sent  him  the  best  all-round  information, 
and  that  he  realized  how  much  I  had  accomplished! 

'  Witte  is  not  only  nervous  about  his  persona] 
safety,  but  also  about  his  political  future.  He  will 
have  no  following  in  the  Duma  among  the  Constitu- 


im\  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  269 

tional  Democrats,  now  known  as  the  Cadets  over 
among  the  majority.  It  is  said  that  Witte  wants  to 
get  out  before  the  Duma  meets,  and  apparently  break 
with  Dournovo.  This  he  feels  would  help  him  polit 
ically  ;  but  the  Tsar  will  not  accept  his  resignation,  and 
evidently  it  is  realized  that  on  account  of  the  loan  that 
is  being  negotiated  in  London  and  Paris  it  is  better  to 
have  him  continue  in  office  at  least  until  that  is  out  of 
the  way  or  placed. 

"April  8.  —  At  the  Concours  Hippique  it  was 
rumoured  that  there  was  to  be  an  attempt  on  the  life 
of  the  Grand  Due  Nicolas  Nicolaievitch.  Nothing 
happened. 

"  All  the  trams,  electric,  were  stopped  running 
across  the  river  on  the  ice  to-day.  People  were  also 
stopped  walking  or  driving  across,  so  that  all  traffic  is 
stopped. 

"  Close  of  the  Morocco  Conference  yesterday.  The 
Inspector  General  proposed  for  military  police  is  to 
be  a  superior  officer  of  the  Swiss  Army,  and  the  dif 
ferences  between  the  Maghzen  and  the  State  Bank 
should  be  referred  to  the  Federal  High  Court  of 
Lausanne. 

"  The  United  States  through  its  representative, 
Henry  White,  stated  [that],  while  accepting  the  ap 
plication  of  the  Conference  for  its  own  citizens,  [it] 
could  not  assume  any  responsibility  for  their  enforce 
ment. 

"  It  is  just  about  a  year  ago  that  the  German  Em 
peror  made  his  sensational  call  and  visit  to  Tangier 
which  resulted  in  the  Conference  just  closed. 


270  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

"  April  12.  —  Send  a  letter  by  the  English  courier 
for  Washington  via  London,  one  to  the  Department 
concerning  Russo-China  affairs  in  the  Far  East,  and 
another  to  Lodge  with  my  article  on  c  Our  Inelastic 
Currency.' *  I  asked  him  for  his  judgment  on  it,  as  I 
had  intended  to  have  it  published  either  in  the  Atlantic 
Monthly  or  the  Review  of  Reviews,  but  decided  to 
send  it  for  his  use.  I  am  curious  to  hear  what  he 
thinks  of  it. 

'  The  eruption  of  Vesuvius  continues,  several 
towns  having  been  deserted,  a  few  destroyed,  which  I 
have  been  through  a  little  over  a  year  ago  in  my  auto. 
I  see  that  the  King  and  Queen  visited  the  places 
threatened,  much  to  the  joy  of  the  inhabitants,  who 
felt,  with  what  was  happening,  God  and  the  Saints  had 
deserted  them. 

""  April  14.  —  Went  to  the  mass  at  St.  Isaac's 
Cathedral.  Only  part  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps  were 
there,  including  the  French  Ambassador.  The  service 
begins  at  11  P.M.  and  it  lasts  for  hours.  At  midnight 
they  march  out  of  the  Church,  walking  round  the  en 
tire  building.  Then  they  come  and  knock  on  the  door, 
march  through  the  Church,  and  announce  that  Christ 
has  risen.  The  cannons  thunder  at  the  same  moment 
from  the  Fortress  across  the  river.  Why  they  have 
Christ  rising  to  the  peal  of  the  cannons  is  not  quite 
explained  by  the  Russians.  The  Church  was  crowded, 
but  the  service  was  not  impressive  after  the  first  few 

i  This  article,  published  in  the  Atlantic  Monthly  for  July,  1906,  was  a 
statistical  comparison  of  the  financial  methods  of  the  United  States  with 
those  of  England,  France,  and  Germany. 


1006]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  271 

moments,  as  there  is  a  constant  and  tedious  repetition 
of  the  same  doleful  chant. 

"April  15  (Russian  Easter  Day).  —  At  half -past 
one  A.M.  I  went  from  the  Cathedral  to  a  Russian 
supper  at  the  Bobrinskoys.  It  did  not  differ  much  as 
to  food  from  an  old  fashioned  New  England  dinner 
in  the  middle  of  the  day  (twelve  hours  later).  There 
was  turkey,  gelinotte,  salads,  cranberry  sauce,  cake, 
fruits,  and  a  special  dish  of  hard  cream  with  currants 
in  moulded  form.  It  takes  several  days  to  make  it 
properly  and,  to  my  surprise,  [it]  was  very  good.  All 
the  Russians  kissed  each  other  three  times.  The  Fiirst- 
enbergs1  and  myself,  the  only  strangers,  were  not 
included  in  this  ceremony;  however,  they  were  all  most 
cordial,  hospitable  and  charming  in  their  manners,  and 
I  was  glad  to  have  a  chance  of  seeing  this  delightful 
side  of  Russian  fete  celebration  in  their  home  life. 
The  young  girls  and  men  sat  at  one  end  of  the  table, 
the  hostess  and  her  friends  at  the  other  end.  The  con 
versation  was  animated,  and  good  feeling  predomi 
nated  and  made  itself  felt  throughout  the  evening. 
Countess  Bobrinskoy  presented  me  with  a  fascinating 
little  enamelled  Faberger  egg.  The  guests  were  Belos- 
selskys,  Fersens,  Warashoff,  Dashkoff,  Ivan  Orloffs, 
Orloff  Dernidoff,  Benckendorff,  Nieroth,  Troubet- 
skoy,  etc.  Eating,  drinking,  talking,  and  merry-mak 
ing  were  kept  up  until  4  A.M. 

"  Lunch  at  the  Austrian  Embassy  with  Prince  and 
Princess  Fiirstenberg;  the  latter  gives  me  a  Faberger 
Easter  egg  with  her  best  wishes. 

i  Of  the  Austrian  Embassy. 


272  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  I*906 

"April  16.  —  Rumours  of  the  death  of  Grand 
Duke  Michel,  also  that  the  Dowager  Empress  was 
ill,  and  that  something  had  happened  to  Dournovo. 
This  is  the  city  of  potins,  and  rumours  and  stories 
spread  with  the  rapidity  of  prairie  fires.  It  was  all  on 
account  of  the  prefet  of  the  city  having  neglected  to 
say  that  on  Easter  they  might  put  out  flags  as  well  as 
having  illuminations.  Therefore  the  police  ordered 
down  the  flags.  People  said  at  once  something  had 
happened,  and  then  the  above  rumours  started. 

"  The  telegram  which  the  German  Emperor  sent 
to  Count  Golerchowski  is  attracting  considerable  at 
tention;  is  evidently  meant  as  a  slap  at  Italy  for  her 
lukewarm  support  at  Algeciras.  The  fact  that  Em 
peror  William  said  to  Austria  that  '  you  proved  your 
self  a  brilliant  second  at  the  scene  of  struggle,'  may 
not  entirely  please  Austria,  though  undoubtedly  it  was 
meant  to  be  complimentary. 

"April  17.  —  Maxim  Gorky,  who  arrived  in 
America  with  Andreiva,  an  actress  who  was  attempt 
ing  to  pass  off  as  his  wife,  has  since  been  turned  out 
of  three  hotels;  every  one  has  cancelled  engagements 
with  him,  even  Mr.  Mitchell,  the  head  of  one  of  the 
labour  unions.  So  that  Gorky,  who  received  a  favour 
able  reception  when  he  first  arrived  —  and  even  Mark 
Twain  and  Howells  attended  a  dinner  —  is  now  dis 
credited. 

"  President  Roosevelt,  in  his  speech  at  the  laying 
of  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  Congressional  Building, 
attacked  the  magazine  articles  which  were  attacking 
and  maligning  all  public  men  alike  and  trying  to 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  278 

discredit  them  before  the  public.  He  also  touched  on 
the  possible  necessity  of  limiting  in  the  future  by  a 
progressive  tax  all  fortunes  above  a  certain  amount. 
This  has  excited  a  world-wide  interest. 

"April  21.  —  Have  a  small  lunch  for  young  Mr. 
Harper  of  Chicago  and  Guy  Scull  of  Boston.1  After 
ward  take  them  with  Miles 2  and  Thompson  of  the 
Associated  Press  to  see  the  Duma.  It  is  in  the  palace 
of  the  Tauride  Garden,  the  one  which  Catherine  gave 
to  Potemkin.  A  year  ago  I  saw  there  the  private 
collection  of  paintings  of  Catherine  and  some  of  the 
men  and  women  of  her  time.  Now  it  has  been 
adapted  for  the  use  of  the  Duma,  with  considerable 
taste,  and  the  halls  and  antecamera  with  their  many 
columns  are  most  dignified.  The  chamber  itself  is  dif 
ferent  from  any  that  I  have  seen,  part  of  it  being 
divided  off  by  columns  back  of  the  speaker,  which  I 
should  think  would  affect  the  acoustic  properties.  The 
aisles  are  very  narrow,  and  when  voting  is  going  on 
may  cause  confusion,  as  I  believe  it  is  not  to  be  done 
by  the  members  sitting  in  their  seats  and  answering 
the  roll-call,  but  by  a  division  of  the  house,  the  mem 
bers  passing  back  of  the  speaker  or  president  on  either 
side.  The  decorations  are  in  excellent  taste.  The 
press  are  in  seats  by  themselves  on  the  floor  of  the 
house,  being  on  each  side  of  the  presiding  officer.  Ar 
rangements  have  been  made  to  feed  the  members  of 
the  Duma  in  the  building. 

1  American  newspaper  correspondents  in   St.  Petersburg,  to  see  the 
opening  of  the  Duma. 

2  Basil  Miles,  who  had  come  to  St.  Petersburg  in  December  with  Mr. 
Meyer,  as  his  Diplomatic  Secretary. 


274  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

ff  April  27.  —  The  London  Times  comes  out  with 
an  article  from  their  correspondent,  which  intimates 
that  the  Tsar  is  about  to  give  a  constitution  which 
limits  the  powers  of  Duma  and  retains  many  auto 
cratic  ones  for  himself.  The  London  Times  cor 
respondent  is  so  much  in  sympathy  with  the  Revolu 
tionists  and  so  prejudiced  against  the  Government 
that  he  can  never  credit  the  Emperor  with  a  good 
motive  and  scarcely  ever  places  the  issues  fairly  and 
impartially  to  the  English  public.  Think  he  should 
be  removed  if  England  and  Russia  wish  to  come  to  a 
good  entente. 

(f  April  28.  —  Dine  at  Count  and  Countess  Witte's 
in  the  Winter  Palace  —  dinner  given  for  the  Grand 
Duke  Vladimir.  .  .  .  The  guests  were  the  Fiirsten- 
bergs,  Belosselskys,  Orloff-Davidoff,  Fersens,  Goudo- 
vitch,  Worouzow,  Dashkoff.  Neither  Witte  nor  his 
wife  seemed  at  their  ease,  he  distrait  and  she  watching 
the  servants.  After  I  had  tasted  the  white  wine  he 
said,  "  Tell  me  frankly,  is  the  wine  good?"  I  sat  on 
her  left  and  had  on  my  left  Princess  Susie  Belosselsky, 
Grand  Duke  Vladimir  being  on  her  right,  Princess 
Fiirstenberg  on  the  right  of  Witte,  and  Countess 
Goudovitch  on  his  left. 

"  After  dinner,  instead  of  allowing  the  Grand 
Duke  to  choose  his  players  for  bridge,  as  is  customary, 
Countess  Witte  arranged  that  Vladimir,  her  husband, 
Countess  Fersen,  and  Countess  Orloff-Davidoff  play 
at  one  table,  Princess  Belosselsky,  Savinsky,  Fiirsten 
berg  and  myself  at  another.  The  Duke  did  not  look 
very  pleased  with  the  arrangement  as  he  likes  to  have 


1906]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  275 

the  best  players  at  his  table.  We  played  until  mid 
night.  I  spoke  to  Witte  about  the  palace  that  had 
been  arranged  for  the  Duma,  how  well  it  had  been 
done  and  in  what  good  taste;  my  only  criticism  was 
that  they  had  given  too  good  a  place  to  the  press.  It 
would  have  been  better  to  have  them  in  the  gallery 
and  not  on  the  floor  where  they  can  talk  to  the 
members. 

"  April  29.  —  Dine  at  Princess  Olga  OrlofFs  in 
Tsarskoe  Selo.  Dinner  given  for  Grand  Duke 
Vladimir.  Among  other  guests  was  General  Trepoff, 
who  had  been  Governor  General  of  St.  Petersburg. 
After  dinner  I  had  an  opportunity  to  have  a  chat  with 
him.  I  complimented  him  on  the  ability  he  had  shown 
in  governing  St.  Petersburg  after  the  disturbance  of 
January  22,  1905,  and  the  order  that  he  had  main 
tained.  He  told  me  that  he  was  on  his  way  to  Man 
churia  and  was  to  have  had  his  audience  with  the 
Tsar  when  he  was  suddenly  named  Governor  General 
of  St.  P.  It  had  been  a  very  difficult  and  trying 
position,  and  it  was  a  real  pleasure  and  comfort 
when  he  was  relieved.  He  spoke  of  how  much  some 
newspaper  journalists  did  by  misrepresenting  condi 
tions  and  circumstances;  then,  speaking  of  the  Duma, 
he  assured  me  that  he  considered  it  a  serious  time  for 
the  Government,  as  all  the  members  elected  practically 
were  opposed  to  the  administration.  The  Duma  re 
quired  a  leader  of  force  and  character,  combining  tact 
and  skill,  able  to  meet  the  emergencies  which  would 
surely  arise.  Would  that  man  rise,  and  what  line 
would  be  taken?  At  that  moment  the  Grand  Duke 


276  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

sent  for  me  to  make  up  a  partie  de  bridge;  for  once 
I  was  sorry  to  have  to  play. 

"  May  2.  —  Cable  the  Department  that  Witte  has 
resigned  and  the  Emperor  has  accepted  his  resigna 
tion —  Goremykin  his  probable  successor. 

"  Drive  Major  Gibson  *  out  to  Krestovsky  to  see 
my  polo  ponies  which  have  been  wintering  there.  On 
returning,  call  at  the  Foreign  Office,  it  being  the  day 
for  Lamsdorff  to  receive  the  Diplomatic  Corps.  Rus- 
sianlike  they  knew  nothing  about  Witte's  resignation, 
and  I  was  able  to  inform  the  diplomats  myself  that  it 
would  be  official  by  to-morrow.  This  knowledge  was 
due  to  special  official  information  which  I  had  received. 

"  Among  other  things  which  I  saw  Lamsdorff 
about  was  the  export  duty  on  old  and  worn-out  rubber 
shoes,  which  we  buy  in  America  for  making  rubber 
tires.  Lamsdorff  remarked,  'What  an  extraordinary 
matter  for  diplomatic  pourparlers! '  and  then  laughed. 

"  Play  bridge  at  Countess  Mengden's,  Palace  of 
the  late  Grand  Duke  Serge.  Nothing  but  Russians 
present;  I  being  the  only  stranger,  I  felt  quite  com 
plimented.  I  played  with  Madame  Orloff  and  Prince 
Youssoupoff.  At  half  past  12  we  stopped  and  had  a 
sit-down  supper. 

"  May  5.  —  Play  bridge  at  Prince  Youssoupoff  s. 
His  palace  is  on  a  par  with  the  great  palaces  of  Rome. 
The  white  marble  escalier  is  more  dignified  than  any 
I  remember  in  Rome.  One  room  is  about  80  feet 
long;  the  walls  are  covered  with  tapestries  that  were 
given  to  the  Youssonpoffs  by  the  King  of  France 

i  Military  Attach^  of  the  American  Embassy. 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  277 

when  Comte  du  Nord  (Emperor  Paul)  was  visiting 
Paris.  The  salon  in  which  the  Princess  was  serving 
tea  was  full  of  Greuzes,  and  there  is  also  a  remarkable 
gallery  with  Rembrandts  and  other  chefs  d'cemre,  be 
sides  a  unique  little  theatre." 

To  Senator  Lodge 

1  ST.  PETERSBURG,  May  7,  1906. 
MY  DEAR  CABOT,  — 

.  .  .  Witte,  as  I  prophesied  in  my  letter,  has  resigned, 
and  his  resignation  has  been  accepted,  as  well  as  that  of  Dour- 
novo,  the  Minister  of  the  Interior. 

The  formal  ceremonies  of  inaugurating  the  Duma  will 
follow  the  custom  in  Berlin  and  Vienna,  of  having  the  members 
assemble  in  the  Palace,  where  the  Emperor  will  make  his  ad 
dress  from  the  throne.  The  Duma  will  be  in  the  control  of  the 
Constitutional  Democrats  and  their  candidate  for  President  of 
the  Duma  is  a  certain  Professor  Muromtseff,  a  man  of  ability 
and  character.  The  trouble  will  be,  however,  that  none  of  the 
members  will  have  had  any  parliamentary  experience,  and  it 
remains  to  be  seen  whether  they  will  develop  the  power  of  self- 
control  and  the  necessary  judgment  to  enact  wise  legislation, 
so  needful  to  the  country. 

Everything  is  at  present  an  unknown  quantity  as  to  what 
action  the  Duma  will  take,  the  Government  hoping  that  they 
will  simply  organize  and  perform  the  necessary  perfunctory 
legislation  and  then  adjourn  until  the  autumn;  but  such  action 
would  be  very  unsatisfactory  to  the  peasants  and  all  people 
interested  in  reform. 

I  am  happy  to  say  my  wife  and  daughters  apparently 
escaped  any  serious  injury  from  the  railroad  accident  which 
occurred  on  their  way  from  Cherbourg  to  Paris.1  It  might 

i  They  arrived  safe  in  St.  Petersburg,  May  14. 


278  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

have  been  most  serious,  and  is  thought  to  be  the  result  of  the 
strikes  which  are  going  on  in  France. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 

[Diary] 

"  May  10.  —  Beautiful  bright  summer's  day.  Open 
ing  of  the  Duma. 

"Drive  to  the  Winter  Palace  at  1  P.M.,  as  the 
invitation  instructed  me  to  be  there  at  1.15.  The  car 
riage  enters  the  gate  of  the  garden  from  the  Palace 
Square,  to  a  special  door  for  the  diplomats.  We,  the 
Chefs  de  Mission,  assemble  in  a  circular  room,  and, 
while  waiting,  several  of  the  Russians  pass  through  in 
their  Court  costumes,  the  ladies  with  their  headgear 
and  court  trains,  most  striking  and  fine-looking  —  the 
Princess  Troubetskoy,  nee  Doigorouky,  the  hand 
somest.  All  the  dresses  were  off  the  shoulders  and  a 
beautiful  neck  was  seen  to  great  advantage  and  occa 
sionally  generously  displayed.  At  half-past  one,  one 
of  the  masters  of  ceremonies  gave  the  signal  and  we 
marched  two  by  two  through  several  great  halls  and 
salons  to  the  St.  George's  Hall.  The  Turkish  and 
French  Ambassadors  led  off,  then  the  Italian  and 
myself,  behind  us  the  German  and  the  Spanish,  on 
account  of  the  Austrian  and  English  not  being  present. 
All  the  Russian  officials  and  ladies  of  the  Court  were 
in  their  places,  and  we  walked  through  lines  of  beau 
tiful  ladies  on  one  side  and  officials  and  officers  in  bril 
liant  costumes  and  uniforms,  until  we  reached  St. 
George's  Hall.  A  number  of  ladies  and  officers 


1906]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  279 

greeted  me  in  a  very  charming  manner  as  I  passed; 
the  Russians,  when  you  get  to  know  them  well,  are  the 
most  informal  and  affable  people  in  the  world. 

"  In  St.  George's  Hall  the  space  allotted  to  the 
Ambassadors  and  Ministers  was  a  raised  stage,  but 
on  the  right  side  of  the  hall  near  the  entrance.  The 
stage  on  the  other  side  of  the  entrance  directly  oppo 
site  to  where  we  stood  was  not  occupied  and  might 
have  been  assigned  to  the  ladies  of  the  Diplomatic 
Corps. 

'  The  entire  left  side  of  the  Hall  was  occupied 
by  the  members  of  the  Duma,  and  they  were  peasants, 
shopkeepers,  priests,  merchants,  lawyers,  even  a  den 
tist  and  a  Catholic  bishop.  Perhaps  a  third  were  in 
dress-suits,  half  a  dozen  in  uniform,  and  many  in 
simple  peasant  costume  and  rough  clothes.  All  this 
made  a  strange  contrast  with  the  officers  in  their  silver 
or  gold-lace  uniforms,  members  of  the  Council  with 
decorations,  and  members  of  the  Court.  On  one  side 
were  the  representatives  of  the  people  and  on  the 
other  those  of  the  bureaucracy  past  and  present. 
Those  on  the  right  had  shown  themselves  unequal  to 
the  task  of  satisfactorily  governing  the  nation.  Would 
the  left  be  equal  to  the  occasion?  Judging  simply 
from  appearances,  it  was  not  encouraging.  It  would 
have  been  interesting  to  have  been  able  to  compare 
them  with  the  Assembly  of  Louis  XIV. 

"  At  a  quarter  of  two  one  heard  in  the  distance  the 
national  anthem,  played  by  the  trumpeters,  growing 
gradually  louder  as  the  Emperor  and  his  courtiers 
approached.  Finally  the  doors  were  thrown  open,  and 


280  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

first  came  richly  attired  court  servants,  then  two  mas 
ters  of  ceremonies,  each  bearing  an  Imperial  golden 
eagle,  followed  by  others  carrying  the  Sword  of  State, 
the  Seal  of  the  State,  the  Imperial  Banner,  the  globe, 
the  sceptre,  and  finally  the  crown,  glittering  with  beau 
tiful  jewels.  Directly  behind  the  crown  came  twelve 
Palace  grenadiers,  wearing  uniforms  of  a  century  ago. 
Immediately  after  came  His  Imperial  Majesty,  with 
the  Empress  Alexandra  on  his  left  and  the  Empress 
Dowager  on  his  right.  The  Grand  Dukes  Michel  and 
Vladimir  and  the  remainder  of  the  Imperial  family 
followed  in  order  of  precedence.  Half-way  down  the 
hall  the  Emperor  stopped  and  kissed  the  cross  in  the 
hands  of  the  High  Priest,  and  then  the  religious  cere 
mony  commenced  with  chanting  and  choir.  That  fin 
ished,  the  Emperor  proceeded  alone  to  the  throne, 
where  he  seated  himself  while  the  two  Empresses 
walked  to  the  right  of  the  throne  and  remained  stand 
ing.  The  Grand  Dukes  and  Grand  Duchesses  assem 
bled  further  to  the  right,  but  not  on  the  steps  of  the 
throne. 

"  In  watching  the  deputies  I  was  surprised  to  note 
that  many  of  them  did  not  even  return  the  bows  of 
His  Majesty,  some  giving  an  awkward  nod,  others 
staring  him  coldly  in  the  face,  showing  no  enthusiasm, 
and  even  almost  sullen  indifference.  As  he  rose  again 
from  the  throne,  there  was  an  absolute  stillness.  He 
then  proceeded  in  a  firm  voice  to  read  his  address. 
When  he  finished  there  was  a  tremendous  outbreak 
of  applause,  but  limited  almost  entirely  to  the  right 
side  of  the  hall,  the  deputies  remaining  quiet.  As  he 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  281 

descended  from  the  throne  and  the  members  of  the 
royal  household  formed  in  line  according  to  their 
rank,  the  applause  and  shouting  on  the  right  con 
tinued  and  increased,  but  the  marked  silence  on  the 
left  was  ever  noticeable.  The  Emperor  carried  him 
self  with  dignity  under  the  trying  ordeal,  and  should 
receive  credit  for  what  he  said  in  his  address  to  the 
members  of  the  Duma.  Judging  merely  from  appear 
ances,  it  was  difficult  to  recognize  any  marked  ability 
or  distinguishing  trait  among  the  members  of  the 
Duma  which  would  specially  fit  them  for  the  great 
task  that  is  before  them;  but  the  contrast  between 
those  on  the  left  and  those  on  the  right  was  the  great 
est  that  one  could  possibly  imagine,  one  being  a  real 
representation  of  different  classes  of  this  great  Em 
pire,  and  the  others  of  what  the  autocracy  and 
bureaucracy  have  been. 

"  The  peasants  have  come  here  for  the  reforming 
or  even  the  repealing  of  the  laws  of  property,  in  order 
that  they  may  gain  by  a  division  of  the  land.  It  is 
said  that  they  desire  to  go  so  far  as  to  introduce  laws 
forbidding  the  land-owners  to  possess  more  than  a  cer 
tain  amount  of  land.  When  land  is  thus  given  up,  it 
is  to  be  divided  among  the  peasants  of  the  district  and 
paid  for  at  a  certain  price. 

"  On  the  other  hand  the  Democratic  party  has  been 
making  a  great  many  promises  which  it  will  be  unable 
to  fulfil.  Whether  an  eventual  conflict  can  be  avoided 
between  the  Crown  and  the  Duma  remains  to  be  seen; 
but  with  the  overwhelming  majority  of  the  Constitu 
tional  Democrats  in  the  Lower  House,  it  would  appear 


282  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

wise  for  the  Tsar  to  select  a  Cabinet  at  once  from 
their  number,  in  order  that  they  should  be  held  respon 
sible  to  the  people  for  the  acts  of  the  Duma. 

"May  11.  —  Went  to  the  first  session  of  the  re 
organized  Council  of  Empire,  held  in  the  Hall  of  the 
Noblesse,  a  very  dignified  and  handsome  hall  with  pil 
lars  and  columns  which  go  round  the  hall  leaving  a 
broad  corridor  and  perfect  circulation.  It  is  located 
on  the  Place  Michel. 

"  It  is  now  made  up  of  90  Senators  elected  and  90 
named  by  the  Emperor.  The  personnel  is  very  dif 
ferent  from  that  of  the  Duma.  The  90  chosen  by 
the  Emperor  are  naturally  members  of  the  former 
bureaucracy,  but  some  have  seen  light  and  have  liberal 
tendencies;  of  those  chosen,  practically  all  are  liberal 
or  so  inclined  with  conservative  tendencies.  I  met  one 
elective  senator.  He  impressed  me  very  favourably,  but 
they  are  all  very  ignorant  of  parliamentary  procedure 
and  practical  constitutional  government.  Nothing  was 
done  at  this  session  beyond  organizing. 

"  It  is  quite  remarkable  what  interest  all  the  Rus 
sians  take  in  Gorky  having  been  turned  down  in 
America  and  how  much  it  pleases  them.  It  is  very 
noticeable  that  in  all  the  salons  now  political  discus 
sions  take  place  with  absolute  freedom  and  no  re 
straint,  and  great  interest  shown,  as  well  as  doubt  as 
to  the  future.  There  is  a  great  awakening  in  Russia. 

ft  May  12.  —  Comte  Lamsdorff  calls  and  leaves  a 
p.p.c.  card,  with  a  line  drawn  through  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs. 

"  Iswolsky,  former  Minister  at  Copenhagen,  named 


1906]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  283 

officially  as  LamsdorfFs  successor.  The  Duma  has 
its  second  meeting.  Muromtseff,  the  President,  an 
nounces  that  he  has  reported  his  election  to  the  Em 
peror.  It  is  said  that  he  was  much  impressed  by  the 
Emperor  and  that  the  Emperor  found  the  President 
of  the  Duma  sympathetic.  This  is  very  important,  if 
true,  for  the  reason  that  if  they  understand  and  trust 
each  other,  they  will  then  be  able  to  accomplish  much 
in  the  way  of  reform  and  future  progressive  actions. 

"  The  Duma  spent  its  time  on  the  questions  and 
petitions  for  amnesty. 

ff  May  14.  —  A  workman  in  the  Navy  Yard  stabs 
the  Admiral  with  an  old  rusty  file  because  he  would 
not  give  them  a  holiday.  The  common  people  are 
very  barbaric  and  unruly.  Yet  amnesty  is  said  to  be 
desired  for  all  political  prisoners,  whether  they  have 
committed  murder  or  not.  The  Duma  may  come  to  a 
deadlock  with  the  Emperor  on  this  question.  He 
might  as  well  abdicate  if  he  includes  those  guilty  of 
murder  or  bomb-throwing. 

'  To-day  is  Russian  1st  May,  but  there  have  been 
practically  no  disturbances  throughout  the  country. 

"  It  is  reported  that  the  body  of  Father  Gapon  has 
been  found.1 

ee  May  15.  —  At  half -past  four  Alice  and  I  go  to 
the  palace  of  the  Grand  Duke  Vladimir  to  pay  our 
respects  to  the  Grand  Duchess  —  it  being  her  fete  day. 

"  The  reply  to  the  speech  from  the  throne  was  sub 
mitted  to  the  Duma  to-day.  It  demands  complete  po- 

iGapon's  murder  is  dramatically  described  in  The  Eclipse  of  Russia, 
by  E.  J.  Dillon,  pp.  168-171. 


284  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

litical  amnesty  as  the  first  pledge  of  understanding 
between  the  Tsar  and  the  people;  also  deals  with  the 
agrarian  question.  A  peasant  deputy  compared  the 
Council  of  the  Empire  to  old  rotten  beams  used  in 
the  building  of  a  new  edifice. 

"May  19.  —  The  bag  brought  a  letter  from  the 
President  enclosing  all  the  correspondence,  letters,  and 
cables,  for  the  last  year,  over  the  Morocco  Conference. 
This  includes  the  President's  personal  correspondence 
with  the  Emperor  William.  Feel  very  flattered  that 
he  should  have  taken  the  trouble  to  do  this,  and  shall 
consider  it  confidential  as  requested. 

"  The  President  quotes  a  cable  last  summer  dated 
July  22,  from  Emperor  William,  in  which  he  says:  *  I 
have  just  seen  the  Emperor  of  Russia.  He  is  tranquil 
and  peaceably  inclined,  appreciates  your  efforts,  likes 
your  Ambassador,  Mr.  Meyer,  and  trusts  him,  and 
hopes  with  your  influence  over  Japan  that  you  will  be 
able  to  induce  Japan  to  make  reasonable  terms  for 
peace.'  This,  the  President  says,  he  forgot  to  read  me 
last  autumn. 

"May  20.  —  The  Emperor  has  refused  to  receive 
the  delegation  appointed  to  present  the  address  in 
answer  to  the  speech  from  the  throne.  Informs  the 
Duma  that  it  should  be  sent  through  the  minister  of 
the  Court." 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  285 


To  President  Roosevelt 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  3/21  May,  1906. 
MY  DEAR  MB.  PRESIDENT,  — 

I  beg  leave  to  acknowledge  your  letter  of  April  30,  enclos 
ing  copies  of  letters  and  cables  covering  over  a  year  in  connec 
tion  with  a  certain  conference. 

I  appreciate  very  much  your  taking  this  trouble,  as  it 
interested  me  immensely,  and  shall  naturally  consider  it  confi 
dential.  What  an  insight  it  gives  into  the  character  of  a  cer 
tain  individual  playing  a  most  prominent  part  on  the  world's 
stage ! 

The  reception  given  by  the  Tsar  in  the  Winter  Palace 
to  the  members  of  the  Duma,  and  his  address  from  the  throne, 
made  a  strong  impression  upon  me.  On  the  right  were  all  the 
members  of  the  bureaucracy  and  autocracy  in  their  gala  uni 
forms,  and  on  the  left  the  members  of  the  Duma,  a  few  in  dress 
clothes  but  many  in  simple  and  rough  attire,  including  the 
peasants  in  their  long  boots  and  shock  hair.  The  address  was 
received  with  enthusiasm  on  the  right  and  absolute  silence  on 
the  left,  and  even  the  salute,  in  many  instances,  received  no 
recognition  or  response,  which  was  most  surprising  to  the  Rus 
sians,  as  one  has  always  been  told  that  the  peasants  would  fall 
on  their  knees  in  the  presence  of  their  Emperor. 

Some  of  the  papers  have  been  criticizing  the  following 
sentence  in  the  Emperor's  address  as  reactionary  —  although  to 
my  mind  it  might  have  been  said  by  a  President  of  the  United 
States  without  criticism :  "  Not  only  is  liberty  necessary,  but 
also  order,  as  the  basis  of  law." 

The  Duma  as  at  present  constituted  contains  practically 
but  one  party,  the  Cadets.  The  minority  is  infinitesimal  and 
without  any  leaders.  The  majority  is  so  overwhelming  that 
debate  is  all  one-sided.  The  choice  of  the  presiding  officer, 


286  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  I190* 

known  as  President,  Mr.  Muromtseff,  is  in  all  probability  a 
happy  one.  The  part  which  he  is  to  play  will  require  not  only 
ability  but  amiability,  coupled  with  tact  and  patience. 

Russia  is  entering  upon  a  great  experiment,  ill-prepared 
and  really  uneducated.  Will  this  great  majority  in  the  Duma 
formulate  legislation  only  after  due  consideration  and  without 
precipitation? 

In  its  address  in  reply  to  the  speech  from  the  throne  the 
Duma  states  that  it  expects  a  full  political  amnesty  as  the  first 
pledge  of  a  mutual  understanding  and  agreement  between  the 
Tsar  and  his  people.  To  meet  the  needs  of  the  peasantry,  it 
affirms  that  the  Duma  would  not  be  doing  its  duty  if  it  did 
not  make  a  law  for  the  satisfaction  of  agrarian  needs  by  the 
aid  of  crown  domains,  monastic  lands,  and  by  the  compulsory 
expropriation  of  land  belonging  to  owners  of  estates.  It  con 
siders  that  the  death  penalty  is  not  advisable  as  a  basis  for 
judicial  sentences.  Popular  education  is  another  task  that  lies 
before  the  Duma,  and  emphasis  is  placed  upon  the  absolute 
necessity  of  passing  definite  laws  assuring  inviolability  of  per 
son,  liberty  of  conscience,  speech,  the  press,  association,  meet 
ing,  and  strikes. 

No  Imperial  Council,  the  Duma  thinks,  composed  of  ap 
pointed  dignitaries  and  persons  elected  by  the  highest  classes 
of  the  population,  should  stand  between  the  Duma  and  the 
Throne.  At  the  same  time,  the  principle  of  responsibility  of 
the  administration  to  the  representatives  of  the  nation  must  be 
adopted. 

It  is  pointed  out  that  only  when  Ministers  are  made 
responsible  to  the  people,  can  the  idea  of  absolute  responsi 
bility  of  the  Monarch  take  root  in  the  hearts  of  the  people, 
and  therefore  only  a  Ministry  enjoying  the  confidence  of  the 
Duma  can  strengthen  the  confidence  in  the  Government. 

In  order  to  perfect  the  principles  of  popular  repreaenta- 


im-\  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  287 

tion,  the  Duma  will  submit  a  bill  on  universal  suffrage  in  ac 
cordance  with  the  unanimously  expressed  will  of  the  people. 

As  showing  the  differences  of  opinion,  I  quote  the  follow 
ing  as  an  expression  from  a  member  of  the  Duma :  "  An  amnesty 
is  indispensable,  because  all  Russians  who  endeavoured  to  over 
turn  the  Government  are  patriots,  and  those  who  risked  their 
lives  in  taking  the  lives  of  the  oppressors  are  the  most  heroic 
of  all.  For  these,  therefore,  an  amnesty  is  more  necessary 
than  for  the  men  in  prison  for  lesser  offences." 

On  the  other  hand  an  aristocratic  dignitary  said:  "If  the 
Tsar  admits  even  implicitly  that  one  Russian  may  murder 
another  and  merit  approval  because  his  motives  are  political, 
then  the  Tsar  has  virtually  signed  his  abdication.  Likewise, 
if  the  Emperor  allows  the  principle  of  private  property  to  be 
violated  in  favour  of  the  peasants  against  the  gentry,  he  can 
not  prevent  the  application  of  the  same  rule  in  favour  of  the 
indigent  against  the  well-to-do  peasant." 

It  is  difficult  to  see  how  the  Emperor  will  consent  to  the 
suppression  of  the  Council  of  Empire,  created  by  himself,  and 
constituting  an  upper  chamber. 

The  desire  of  the  Duma  to  secure  a  monopoly  of  legis 
lation,  if  pressed,  is  likely  to  cause  a  crisis.  Then  again,  can 
the  transfer  of  land  which  is  already  personal  property,  to  the 
Russian  peasant,  be  affected  without  a  struggle? 

The  Court  party  appears  to  be  labouring  under  the 
delusion  that  the  Duma  misrepresents  the  nation.  They 
apparently  are  as  blind  to  the  storm  that  is  gathering  as 
they  were  to  the  evidences  which  foretold  a  naval  defeat  to 
Rodjestvensky. 

I  cannot  help  but  take  a  pessimistic  view  as  to  the  future, 
when  I  see  evidences  almost  everywhere  of  a  communistic  spirit 
among  the  workmen  and  peasants.  Added  to  this  is  the  fact 
that  the  Government  throughout  the  year  has  been  driving  even 


288  GEORGE  TON  L.  MEYER  V906 

the  moderate  element,  which  now  are  unorganized,  over  to  the 
Extremists. 

From  the  above  I  do  not  mean  to  imply  that  a  crash  is 
coming  at  once,  but  that  sooner  or  later  a  struggle  on  these 
questions  between  the  Crown  and  the  Duma,  unless  all  signs  fail, 
is  more  than  probable.  To-day  the  Government  is  in  posses 
sion  of  funds  and  the  Army,  but  within  three  years  the  entire 
Army  will  have  been  recruited,  and  with  the  new  ideas  and  doc 
trines  that  are  permeating  the  minds  of  the  people  who  can 
tell  if  the  Government  can  then  rely  upon  the  troops  to  obey 
the  officers  and  quell  disturbances. 

Believe  me,  Mr.  President, 

Respectfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 

P.S.  Monsieur  Iswolsky,  the  new  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs, 
was  a  secretary  at  the  Russian  Legation  in  Washington  under 
Mr.  Struve.  He  has  also  held  posts  in  Rome,  Darmstadt, 
Tokyo,  and  lately  was  Minister  at  Copenhagen.  His  expe 
rience  in  the  diplomatic  service  has  been  quite  extensive  and  is 
always  most  useful  to  a  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs.  I  think 
the  office  will  be  run  with  more  expedition.  This  task,  how 
ever,  will  prove  more  difficult  than  that  of  his  predecessor,  as 
he  will  have  to  follow  the  proceedings  of  both  the  Duma  and  the 
reorganized  Council  of  Empire.  I  have  found  him  very  prompt 
in  attending  to  matters  that  I  have  brought  to  his  attention 
so  far. 

[Diary] 

ff  May  26.  —  Took  Alice  and  the  girls  to  the 
Duma.  It  was  a  memorable  day,  as  the  Prime  Min 
ister,  Goremykin,  announced  from  the  Tribunal  that 
amnesty  would  not  be  granted  or  expropriation  con- 


woe}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  289 

sidered.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  Prime  Minister's 
remarks  there  was  not  a  sign  of  approval  of  any  sort. 
Then  speeches  were  made  by  several  of  the  members 
criticizing  in  very  strong  language  the  announcement, 
finally  demanding  the  resignation  of  the  Cabinet  in 
which  the  Duma  had  lost  all  confidence,  and  demand 
ing  that  it  be  selected  from  the  Duma.  Many  Rus 
sians  of  prominence  were  present,  showing  much 
interest  and  some  resentment  at  the  Duma's  action 
and  final  resolution. 

"June  8.  —  Give  a  dinner  of  22  for  the  German 
Ambassador  and  Madame  de  Schoen  and  the  British 
Ambassador  and  Lady  Nicolson.  Mr.  de  Lovenorn, 
the  Danish  Minister,  sent  word  at  half -past  two  that 
the  Grand  Duchess  Vladimir  had  sent  for  him  to  come 
to  dinner  and  therefore  he  would  not  be  able  to  keep 
his  engagement.  The  Grand  Duchess  never  invites 
her  guests  until  the  day  of  a  dinner,  and  consequently 
continually  upsets  dinner  parties,  which  is  most  trying 
to  the  host  and  no  compliment  to  the  people  that  she 
invites  at  the  last  moment.  On  two  occasions  I  re 
fused  to  throw  over  the  French  Ambassador's  dinner 
and  on  another  occasion  the  German  Ambassador's  — 
I  felt  it  was  only  due  to  my  colleagues  as  Ambas 
sadors. 

"June  13.  —  Colonel  Bryan  (William  Jennings 
Bryan)  and  his  wife  arrive  in  St.  Petersburg.  He 
and  his  wife  lunch  with  us.  Bryan  said  to  me,  '  I  see 
that  the  papers  say  I  have  grown  more  conservative. 
I  am,  as  a  fact,  more  radical  now  than  I  was  four 
years  ago.  It  is  the  sentiment  in  the  United  States 


290  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

that  has  changed.  The  people  look  differently  at  some 
of  the  things  that  I  advocated  and  now  no  longer  con 
sider  them  dangerous.' 

"  Mrs.  Bryan  is  a  quiet,  ladylike,  simple  person 
with  nice  eyes.  I  arranged  that  we  would  go  to  the 
Duma  to-morrow  morning,  and  would  call  on  Mr. 
Iswolsky  by  appointment  at  the  Foreign  Office  to 
morrow  afternoon  at  5  o'clock. 

"  Bryan  was  in  very  good  spirits  after  his  travels. 
He  has  become  broadened  and  more  the  man  of  the 
world. 

"  He  told  a  very  good  story  at  the  table  about  the 
man  out  West  who  went  into  a  small  baker's  shop 
and  asked  if  they  had  pies  such  as  mother  used  to 
make.  '  Yes,'  they  replied.  f  Exactly  the  same  as 
mother  made?'  'Yes.'  'Well,  then,'  he  said,  'give 
me  something  quite  different!' 

ff  June  14.  —  Colonel  Bryan  arrived  with  his  wife 
at  11  A.M.,  in  coupe  with  a  smart  pair  of  grey  horses, 
coachman  in  livery  and  a  cockade  in  his  hat.  Bryan 
himself  wore  a  silk  hat.  If  some  of  his  Western  ad 
mirers  could  have  seen  him,  they  would  have  had  a 
surprise. 

"  I  put  my  wife  in  the  coupe  with  Mr.  Bryan. 
We  somehow  had  changed  places.  I  was  in  a  rough 
suit  and  he  in  frock  coat.  As  our  wives  drove  off  I 
said  to  him,  '  We  will  be  democratic  and  get  into  a 
droshky.'  '  All  right,'  he  replied  with  a  twinkle  in 
his  eye,  showing  that  he  caught  on  to  my  point. 

"  I  presented  Bryan  to  Count  Potocki  and  Prin 
cess  Galitzine. 


19061  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  291 

"  At  5  o'clock  we  called  on  Iswolsky,  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs,  who  appeared  to  be  posted  as  to  Mr. 
Bryan's  career  and  even  to  his  movements  lately. 
Iswolsky  was  exceptionally  frank  as  to  the  situation 
and  the  Duma.  Believed  the  Duma  was  not  in  sym 
pathy  with  the  present  Cabinet  in  any  way,  and  as  it 
was  taken  from  the  bureaucratic  element  he  felt  that 
it  could  not  work  with  this  Duma.  He  was  prepared 
to  resign,  and  even  advocated  it  and  selecting  a 
Cabinet  from  the  Cadets  in  the  Duma:  this  would 
make  them  realize  more  fully  the  difficulties  and  in  the 
end  cause  them  to  be  more  conservative.  He  also 
spoke  very  strongly  on  expropriation  of  private  land 
and  the  payment  of  about  half -value,  as  out  of  the 
question;  that  the  Government  was  formulating  a 
scheme  which  it  had  not  yet  fully  announced.  Colonel 
Bryan  spoke  of  the  safety  of  letting  off  steam,  which 
he  compared  to  allowing  people  to  speak  and  say  what 
was  on  their  minds,  and  that  when  people  were  put  in 
power  and  made  responsible  they  became  more  con 
servative  and  reasonable.  Expressed  the  belief  that 
later  the  Duma  would  line  up  with  two  or  three 
parties,  and  in  leaving  said  to  the  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs  that  he  hoped  the  Duma  and  the  Government 
would  find  a  common  ground  on  which  they  could 
work  together  understandingly. 

ce  June  20.  —  Call  on  Goremykin,  the  Prime  Min 
ister,  by  appointment  at  1  o'clock.  Receives  me  very 
cordially.  I  tell  him  that  I  appreciate  his  giving  me 
time  when  he  must  be  terribly  busy.  He  goes  on  to 
say  how  difficult  his  task  is;  that  the  Duma  is  nothing 


292  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V906 

more  than  an  organized  revolutionary  body;  that  ex 
propriation  is  merely  a  platform  with  them ;  that  noth 
ing  the  Government  might  offer  would  satisfy;  and  as 
a  proof  of  this  tells  me  that  the  Government  is  work 
ing  out  a  land  scheme  which  the  Duma  refuses  even 
to  consider.  He  complains  of  the  press,  especially  the 
English,  misrepresenting  the  actual  condition  of  af 
fairs;  says  he  does  not  understand  it,  does  not  want  to 
think  that  England  desires  to  see  Russia  weakened, 
but  prefers  to  believe  it  is  due  to  the  Jews  who  own 
so  many  influential  journals  in  England.  Informed 
me  that  there  was  an  active  propaganda  going  on  dis 
tributing  revolutionary  literature  among  the  troops. 
He  realized  that  Russia  was  passing  through  a  crisis 
which  would  have  to  spend  its  force,  much  as  an  epi 
demic  of  measles.  He  did  not  impress  me  as  a  man 
of  force  or  equal  in  any  way  to  the  present  situation. 
Does  not  appreciate  the  new  sentiment  which  has  per 
meated  the  people,  nor  does  he  understand  the  Duma 
or  take  into  account  that  representative  government 
has  now  got  a  footing,  and  that  consideration  of  the 
Duma's  wishes  must  hereafter  receive  attention,  and 
not  be  thwarted  or  scorned  if  the  Tsar  wishes  to  keep 
his  throne. 

ce  June  24-  —  My  48th  birthday  —  time  and  years 
are  flying! 

"  Receive  a  cable  from  the  State  Department  say 
ing,  '  The  President  wishes  you  to  take  the  earliest 
occasion  to  informally  ascertain  whether  the  reports  of 
the  acquiescence  of  local  authorities  in  the  recent  de 
plorable  massacre  of  Jews  at  Byalostok  are  unfounded 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  293 

or  not,'  etc.  I  wrote  to  Iswolsky  and  asked  him  kindly 
to  name  the  earliest  moment  to-day  or  to-morrow  that 
he  could  see  me  conveniently.  Word  came  back  to 
call  at  the  Foreign  Office  at  4.30  this  afternoon.  I 
know  perfectly  well  that  the  Russian  Government  has 
our  code,  so  I  went  with  a  typewritten  copy  of  the 
translation  of  the  cable.  Mr.  Iswolsky  seemed  rather 
nervous  when  he  received  me  and  I  said  I  would  like 
to  read  a  cable  message;  got  quite  excited  and  said, 
*  What  sort  of  a  message?  I  do  not  understand.'  All 
of  which  was  unnatural  and  unnecessary  had  he  not 
already  known  of  my  cable  through  code  in  their  pos 
session.  When  I  said  it  was  about  the  Jews  and  the 
massacre  at  Byalostok,  he  said  he  must  decline  to  dis 
cuss  it,  as  it  was  an  internal  affair,  even  informally  or 
for  information;  that  he  could  only  refer  to  the  com 
munique  of  the  Minister  of  the  Interior  which  had 
been  published  and  sent  to  all  the  Governors  and 
prefets,  instructing  them  to  take  the  greatest  precau 
tions  and  not  to  delay,  as  quick  action  would  prevent 
further  disturbances,  etc. 

"June  25.  —  English  Ambassador,  Sir  Arthur 
Nicolson,  called  on  me  by  appointment  at  11  A.M. 
Informed  me  that  he  has  also  called  on  Iswolsky  to 
obtain  information  informally  as  to  the  Government's 
attitude  on  the  Jewish  Massacre.  The  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs  apparently  was  quite  put  out  and  de 
clined  to  talk  on  the  subject  and  referred  him,  as  he 
did  me,  to  the  official  communication  of  the  Minister 
of  the  Interior.  Nicolson  assured  him,  as  I  had  done, 
it  was  not  the  desire  to  criticize  the  Government  or 


294  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

seem  inquisitorial  (as  I  had  also  stated),  but  merely 
to  put  his  government,  if  Russia  desired  to,  in  such  a 
position  as  to  prevent  public  opinion  becoming  incensed 
through  the  exaggerated  accounts  of  the  press. 

"June  26.  —  Yesterday  Count  Westphalen1  said 
at  polo,  '  I  hear  you  and  the  English  Ambassador  re 
ceived  a  refusal  at  the  Foreign  Office.'  I  merely 
replied,  '  Where  did  you  get  that  idea? '  He  hesitated 
and  said,  *  I  think  my  Ambassador  told  me.'  This 
morning  I  met  the  British  Ambassador,  Nicolson,  and 
told  him  the  remark  of  Westphalen,  at  the  same  time 
asking  him  if  he  thought  that  Iswolsky  could  have 
talked  about  it  to  one  of  our  colleagues;  that  it  would 
be  bad  for  public  sentiment  if  it  got  into  the  American 
papers.  He  acknowledged  having  mentioned  it  him 
self  to  the  French  and  German  Ambassadors,  but  felt 
sure  he  had  not  spoken  of  my  experience.  Asked  if 
I  thought  Bompard  or  Schoen  would  repeat  it. 

fe  June  28.  —  The  British  Ambassador,  Sir  Arthur 
Nicolson,  called  this  morning  at  10.30  to  inform  me 
that  it  was  evidently  Schoen,  the  German  Ambassador, 
who  had  been  told  by  Iswolsky  that  the  British  Am 
bassador  and  myself  had  spoken  informally  on  the 
Russian-Jewish  massacres  and  that  he  had  refused  to 
discuss  it,  etc.  It  is  rather  strange  that  Iswolsky 
should  repeat  this  to  Schoen,  and  is  not  quite  good 
form.  They  have,  however,  been  former  colleagues, 
and  the  course  of  events  is  throwing  Germany  and 
Russia  together.  It  is  greatly  to  Germany's  interest 
that  the  revolution  should  not  make  too  much  progress. 

i  Counsellor  of  the  Austrian  Embassy. 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  295 

Russia  assisted  in  the  past  to  put  down  the  revolution 
in  Hungary.  Germany  or  Austria  may  in  a  similar 
event  slip  in  and  attempt  the  same  thing  in  order  to 
discourage  Socialism. 

ff  July  8.  —  Alice,  the  girls,  and  myself  go  with  a 
party  to  the  Princess  Orloff's  at  Strelna.  Just  as  we 
reached  there  a  tremendous  thunder-storm  came  up 
and  lasted  for  an  hour.  At  half-past  four  we  all  drove 
to  the  boat-landing  and  went  out  to  their  steam  yacht, 
reaching  it  as  the  clouds  parted  and  the  sun  came  out. 
We  steamed  all  around  the  '  Bay/  and  finally, 
through  the  stupidity  of  the  Captain,  got  aground, 
and  after  much  difficulty  got  off.  It  was  a  very  good 
example  of  Russian  incapacity  as  mariners.  Later  we 
steamed  in  and  around  Kronstadt,  saw  the  new  royal 
yacht,  which  has  fine  lines.  We  dined  on  board  our 
yacht  at  7.30,  13  in  all  —  Belosselskys,  Cantacuzenes, 
Count  and  Countess  Nieroth,  Prince  Galitzine,  Prin 
cess  Olga  Orloff.  Vladimir  at  the  last  moment  could 
not  get  away  from  the  Emperor. 

"  Came  home  on  the  yacht  by  the  ship  canal;  lovely 
night,  but  damp.  The  canal  is  much  larger  than  I 
imagined,  and  becomes  after  a  while  very  monotonous. 
It  is  in  reality  a  channel,  with  artificial  banks  on  each 
side  on  which  scrub  trees  have  been  planted. 

"July  11.-- Write  a  letter  to  President  Roose 
velt  on  the  situation  here.  Send  it  by  Conger  of  the 
Associated  Press,  who  leaves  for  Berlin  at  11  A.M. 

"  Go  down  to  Tsarskoe  Selo  to  dine  with  the 
Countess  Orloff-Davidoff  and  play  in  bridge  tourna 
ment. 


296  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  I*906 

"  In  my  letter  to  the  President  I  tell  him  of  Iswol- 
sky's  refusal  to  discuss  Byalostok  or  the  Jewish  ques 
tion,  and  that  the  British  Ambassador  received  the 
same  refusal.  I  tell  him  of  the  doctor  ordering  me  to 
take  a  cure  at  Kissingen  on  account  of  catarrh  of  the 
stomach.  I  should  have  done  it  in  June,  but  was 
unable  to  on  account  of  Eddy's  continued  absence, 
but  must  in  August.  The  family  will  probably  sail 
for  home  in  August,  and  I  should  like  to  follow  in 
September  on  leave,  if  the  President  has  no  objec 
tions. 

ff  July  12.  —  Festa,  holiday  of  Peter  and  Paul. 
Great  many  drunk  on  the  street,  as  so  many  Russians 
have  that  name,  and  they  are  all  celebrating. 

"  Go  to  the  Kleinmichel  House  with  Alice.  Nearly 
everything  packed  up  in  cases;  have  decided  to  store 
them  at  the  Embassy,  and  eventually  to  ship  them  to 
America,  as  under  no  circumstances  shall  I  take  a 
house  again  here. 

'  The  President  sent  word  through  Cabot  this 
spring  that  he  intended  to  take  me  into  his  Cabinet 
either  this  July,  or  failing  that,  in  January  or  March, 
1907,  at  the  latest.  He  also  told  me  that  verbally  last 
November.  Consequently,  after  I  have  taken  my 
cure,  if  the  conditions  prevent  or  the  President  does 
not  wish  me  to  come  to  America  in  the  meantime  on 
leave,  I  shall  take  rooms  at  a  hotel. 

"July  15.  —  The  peasants  have  begun  again  in 
different  parts  of  the  country  burning  and  pillaging. 
They  get  drunk  on  vodka,  and  then  go  round  burning 
and  destroying  estates.  Their  object  is  either  to  drive 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  297 

away  the  proprietors  or  make  it  impossible  for  them 
to  return.  In  this  way  they  imagine  themselves  able 
to  force  the  division  of  land  among  themselves.  The 
bureaucracy  have  imagined  that  they  could  continue 
to  govern  100,000,000  peasants  by  keeping  them  un 
educated  and  living  almost  like  animals.  The  peasants, 
having  become  aroused  and  dissatisfied,  are  acting  like 
animals  and  without  any  judgment  or  reason.  The 
Government  and  proprietors  are  now  reaping  the  re 
sult  of  their  blind  and  foolish  policy.  A  thorough 
reorganization  of  the  Government  and  a  compulsory 
education  of  the  people  is  necessary,  which  will  require 
more  than  one  generation. 

"  There  is  only  one  thing  impossible  in  Russia,  and 
that  is  to  understand  Russia.  The  Tsar  is  stronger 
in  ideals  than  in  achievements.  The  education  of  the 
masses  has  been  shamefully  neglected.  The  Jews  have 
been  persecuted  and  massacred.  The  bureaucracy  is 
corrupt  and  unpatriotic.  There  are  no  leaders  on 
either  side.  The  revolutionists  want  capital  punish 
ment  abolished,  but  freedom  to  use  the  bomb. 

ff  July  16.  —  The  agrarian  disturbances  are  in 
creasing.  The  Orloff  estates  with  the  famous  stud  and 
stables  have  been  destroyed,  also  one  of  the  Schiri- 
metew  estates;  and  there  is  trouble  on  the  Mistchisky 
property. 

"  The  Russian  peasants'  union  has  issued  a  circular 
among  the  peasants.  It  claims  that  they  should  have 
land,  liberty,  and  justice.  In  order  to  gain  their  ends, 
peasants  who  are  not  day  labourers  must  therefore  take 
no  part  in  harvest  work,  so  that  landlords  may  under- 


298  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

stand  their  wealth  is  due  to  the  peasants'  work  alone. 
Day  labourers  must  work  carelessly  so  that  landlords 
get  no  profits ;  they  must  demand  higher  wages,  better 
food,  and  longer  periods  of  rest.  They  must  support 
the  demands  of  the  Labour  Party.  It  ends  with 
*  Strike  while  the  iron  is  hot.  The  Government  fears 
only  you.  It  will  be  compelled  to  fulfil  your 
demands.' 

"  July  18.  —  Send  a  dispatch  on  the  present  situa 
tion  to  the  State  Department  by  the  English  courier. 
It  looks  to-day  as  though  the  Cadets  and  the  Crown 
were  drifting  farther  apart  again,  and  that  the  present 
Cabinet  would  be  compelled  to  stay  in.  This  would 
be  unfortunate  from  my  point  of  view.  I  believe  the 
Tsar  would  do  well  to  take  a  Cabinet  from  the  Con 
stitutional  Democratic  Party,  put  them  in  power,  and 
make  them  responsible.  It  is  the  only  way  to  make 
them  conservative  and  for  the  Crown  to  gain  support 
in  the  Duma  while  they  are  still  loyal  and  in  a 
majority. 

"  The  Austrian  Ambassador,  who  has  been  quite 
pessimistic,  to-day  felt  more  encouraged.  He  looks 
at  it  from  a  different  point  of  view.  Does  not  believe 
in  recognizing  the  Democrats,  thinks  the  Duma  should 
be  dissolved  and  have  the  struggle  now,  which  he  be 
lieves  would  be  short-lived  as  the  majority  of  the 
troops  are  now  loyal.  This,  as  I  think,  would  not 
solve  the  problem  before  the  country  and  would  mean 
a  greater  and  worse  strife  later  on.  Go  to  the  Foreign 
Office.  Find  the  Turkish,  French,  English,  and  Ger 
man  Ambassadors  all  calling.  I  also  pay  a  call  on 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  299 

Goubastow,  who  was  formerly  in  Rome,  accredited  to 
the  Vatican. 

"At  4.30  we  all  leave  for  Finland,  the  Govern 
ment  having  assigned  a  private  car  for  my  use. 
D'Aehrenthal  was  on  the  train." 

For  several  days  Meyer  and  his  son  fished  for 
salmon  on  the  lake  at  Imatra.  The  journal  pro 
ceeds: — 

"July  21.  —  Rained  early  in  the  morning.  Stopped 
at  10  o'clock.  *  Bey '  and  I  went  fishing.  He  had 
great  sport,  killed  five  salmon  in  all;  the  last  one  a 
large  one,  weighing  15  Ibs.;  took  him  down  the  rapids, 
but  he  saved  it  and  landed  it  safely  in  the  boat,  much 
to  his  satisfaction  and  mine.  I  only  killed  one  good- 
sized  one,  but  he  gave  me  great  sport.  Csekonics  tele 
graphed,  advising  us  not  to  travel  on  Sunday.  Some 
thing  must  have  occurred.  I  had  already  decided  to 
leave  Imatra  at  4.30.  Found  our  private  car  all  ready 
for  us,  arrived  in  Petersburg  at  11.15  P.M.  Hibben, 
Third  Secretary,  waiting  to  receive  us  at  the  station; 
also  an  officer  and  several  soldiers,  who  escorted  us  to 
the  royal  waiting-room  and  from  there  to  our  auto 
mobile. 

"When  we  reached  our  Villa  on  Krestovsky,  my 
private  watchman  informed  me  that  the  Government 
desired  to  send  out  six  soldiers  as  a  special  guard.  I 
wonder  if  the  Emperor  has  decided  to  dismiss  the 
Duma  and  they  anticipate  disturbances.  The  town  of 
Sysran  was  totally  destroyed  yesterday  by  fire.  The 
population,  about  33,000,  has  fled  to  the  fields.  Many 


300  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V906 

lives  have  been  lost,  mostly  children.  The  bulk  of 
the  population  are  without  food  or  shelter. 

(f  July  22.  —  The  doctor  arrives  at  9  A.M.  to  see 
Julia,  and  informs  my  chasseur  that  the  Duma  has 
been  dismissed.  Hibben  arrives  at  11  A.M.,  but  has  no 
news  to  that  effect.  Posts  me  as  to  what  has  tran 
spired  the  past  three  days.  As  a  result  of  the  increased 
popularity  of  the  labour  group,  due  to  agitation  and 
propaganda,  the  Cadets  have  not  been  able  to  prevent 
the  Duma  the  last  few  days  from  taking  on  a  com 
plexion  rather  of  a  revolutionary  character,  which 
would  tend  to  incite  one  part  of  the  people  against  the 
other,  and  as  such  is  regarded  as  an  unconstitutional 
course.  Thus  an  opportunity  is  given  to  the  Emperor 
to  dissolve  the  Duma  with  the  possible  support  of  the 
conservative  classes. 

"  Csekonics  arrived  after  lunch  and  informed  me 
that  it  was  not  published  in  the  morning  papers,  only 
the  official  messenger  had  announced  that  the  Emperor 
was  dissolving  the  Duma  and  announcing  the  assem 
bling  of  the  Duma,  March  5,  1907.  It  appears  that 
the  Tsar  considers  the  Duma's  projected  national 
manifesto  on  the  agrarian  question  an  act  of  open 
revolution,  and  he  even  reprobates  the  modified  reso 
lution  which  the  Duma  has  finally  adopted.  The  vote 
was  124  to  53,  101  of  the  Socialists,  etc.,  refraining 
from  voting.  The  report  rejects  the  government  agra 
rian  proposition  and  appeals  to  the  peasants  to  remain 
calm,  pending  the  carrying  out  of  the  Duma  scheme. 
It  strongly  favours  expropriation  of  landowners. 
Petersburg  quiet. 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  301 

ff  July  23.  —  Goreinykin's  resignation  has  been  ac 
cepted,  as  well  as  that  of  the  Minister  of  Agriculture, 
and  that  of  the  Holy  Synod  also.  Stolypin  has  been 
made  Premier,  and  it  is  thought  that  the  other  mem 
bers  of  the  Cabinet  will  be  requested  to  hold  their 
portfolios. 

"  Send  off  a  courier  to  Berlin  with  dispatches  to 
Washington.  The  English,  German,  and  Austrian 
Embassies  also  avail  themselves  of  our  bag. 

(C  July  25.  —  Receive  a  cable  from  State  Depart 
ment,  in  which  it  says,  '  In  view  of  the  present  situa 
tion  as  described  in  your  cablegrams,  the  President  is 
strongly  of  the  opinion  that  you  should  not  leave  Rus 
sia  except  for  some  place  from  which  you  can  return 
at  short  notice.'  To  which  I  replied:  'On  dissolution 
of  Duma  gave  up  going  to  Kissingen  for  cure  in  order 
to  await  results.  Petersburg  continues  quiet;  general 
strike  now  considered  improbable.' 

"  Took  the  family  down  to  Peterhof  to  see  the 
Park  and  Palace.  The  Park  is  really  lovely  with  its 
fine  trees,  walks,  and  drives  running  right  down  to  the 
water.  The  fountains  were  all  playing,  and  the  canal 
extends  from  the  Palace  through  the  Park  in  a  straight 
line  to  the  water  edge;  suggests  Versailles,  but  here  all 
the  statues  are  gilded,  which  is  very  barbaric.  The 
excruciatingly  bad  taste  displayed  in  the  Palace  and 
the  dripping  gold  decorations  are  most  offensive  to  the 
eye.  It  was  a  lovely  day  and  we  enjoyed  the  outing, 
specially  the  little  house  of  Peter  the  Great  on  the 
water's  edge.  Paravicini,1  de  Stumm,2  and  Hender- 

i  Secretary  of  the  Swiss  Legation.       2  Attache  of  the  German 


302  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

son  *  went  with  us.  We  remarked  what  a  contrast  it 
all  was,  the  present  normal  conditions,  to  the  descrip 
tion  that  was  going  on  in  the  English  and  American 
papers. 

"  July  26.  —  Give  a  dinner  of  sixteen  to  celebrate 
Julia's  birthday  on  the  30th,  as  the  family  leave  on 
that  day.  Petersburg  continues  quiet,  without  dis 
turbances.  A  rumour  has  started  that  the  Emperor  in 
a  Ukase  will  announce  that  all  people  will  be  equal  be 
fore  the  law.  This  act,  if  it  were  established,  would 
break  the  backbone  of  the  revolution  and  stop  the 
sinews  of  war  coming  in  from  the  Jews,  and  also  cause 
Consols  to  advance.  Knowing,  however,  how  deep- 
rooted  is  the  prejudice  against  the  Jew  in  Russia  and 
in  the  government  circles,  it  is  hardly  conceivable  that 
such  wisdom  will  be  shown  at  this  time.  Something 
more  than  promises  have  got  to  be  given  to  save  the 
throne  and  the  nation  from  revolution.  It  will  only 
be  effected  by  great  concession  and  sacrifices.  Has  he 
the  courage  and  strength  to  do  so? 

"  July  28.  —  Play  polo  at  Krestovsky ;  have  four 
on  a  side.  The  Grand  Duke  Boris  arrives,  but  is  only 
too  glad  not  to  play  on  account  of  his  clothes  having 
been  taken  away.  Plays  tennis  with  Princess  Susie 
Belosselsky  against  Schoen  and  Alice.  They  have  to 
let  him  win,  as  he  gets  so  cross  if  he  loses.  Count 
Westphalen 2  and  Count  Csekonics  give  the  family  a 
dinner  in  their  datcha.  Excellent  dinner;  Henderson, 

1  Nevile  Henderson,  Attache  of  the  British  Embassy. 

2  Counsellor  of  the  Austrian  Embassy. 


19061  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  303 

Schoen,  and  Csekonics's  cousin,  the  new  Austrian  At 
tache,  also  present. 

"August  8. —  Cable  Washington  that  the  Com 
mittee  that  ordered  the  general  strike  have  called  the 
strike  off.  The  failure  is  due  to  the  non-participation 
of  the  railroads  and  the  opposition  of  the  majority  of 
labourers  to  join.  This  makes  it  probably  possible  for 
me  to  get  off  to  Kissingen  early  next  week.  The  Gov 
ernment  has  now  had  considerable  experience  and  un 
derstands  better  how  to  handle  the  situation. 

"Dinner  at  the  Japanese  legation.  Consists  of 
British  Ambassador,  and  Lady  Nicolson,  Sir  Donald 
Mackenzie  Wallace,1  la  Marquise  de  Belloy,2  Comte 
de  Grelle  Rogier,3  his  daughter,  Mr.  and  Madame 
de  Grelle,  Mr.  Martin,4  and  the  Japanese  staff.  I  took 
in  the  wife  of  the  Japanese  secretary,  the  only  Japa 
nese  lady  in  Petersburg.  She  was  very  difficult  to  talk 
to,  as  she  was  very  nervous.  She  was  apparently  about 
twenty-one  years  old.  There  was  an  old  Japanese  at 
the  table  and  I  asked  who  he  was.  Her  reply  was, 
'  II  est  mon  man!  I  should  have  been  much  less  sur 
prised  if  she  had  said,  f  Mon  pere/ 

ff  August  14.  —  Leave  Petersburg  with  Basil  Miles 
at  noon,  on  conge  for  Berlin  and  Kissingen;  at  the 
latter  place  I  am  to  take  a  cure.  Cable  the  Depart 
ment  that  I  go  out  of  the  Empire  to-morrow  morn 
ing;  Eddy  in  charge. 

"After  we  had  got  an  hour  from  Petersburg  I 

1  A  new  edition  of  his  Russia,  first  published  in   1877,   had  been 
issued  in  1905. 

2  Wife  of  the  French  naval  attach^. 

3  The  Belgian  Minister. 

4  Secretary  of  the  French  Embassy. 


304  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

discover  that  I  have  not  my  passport  with  me.  The 

afternoon  before  I  left  I  had  asked  to  look 

through  the  safe  to  see  if  there  was  anything  of  mine 
in  it.  Had  he  done  so,  he  would  have  found  my  pass 
port  in  an  envelope  with  my  name  written  on  it.  How 
ever,  we  telegraphed  Iswolsky,  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs,  in  Russian,  as  the  operator  would  not  take  it 
in  any  other  language.  Later,  at  another  station,  I 
telegraphed  the  Embassy  to  see  the  Foreign  Office, 
and  have  them  wire  to  Wirballen  to  pass  me.  How 
absurd  that  an  ambassador  cannot  get  out  of  the  coun 
try  without  a  permit  from  the  Foreign  Office!  It  is 
barbaric. 

"  August  15.  —  Arrive  at  Wirballen  at  6.30  Rus 
sian  time,  5.30  A.M.,  German.  No  telegrams.  Little 
later  the  wagon-lits  conductor  informed  me  that  a  tele 
gram  has  come  with  instructions  to  pass  me  over  the 
frontier.  .  .  . 

ff  Bad  Kissingen,  August  27.  —  The  courier  arrives 
from  Petersburg  via  Berlin.  Brings  the  bag  from 
Washington;  in  it  was  a  letter  from  the  President, 
dated  July  28.  It  had  evidently  just  lost  the  other 
bag,  and  then  came  on  a  slow  steamer.  He  says,  '  Most 
Ambassadors  go  through  their  terms  with  only  the 
chance  to  do  respectably  what  any  fairly  good  man 
can  do  respectably.  Now  the  greatest  piece  of  good 
fortune  that  can  befall  any  man  is  to  have  the  chance 
to  do,  at  no  matter  what  cost  of  personal  inconvenience 
and  risk,  something  worth  doing;  and  you  have  had 
this  great  good  fortune.  Of  course  the  most  impor 
tant  part  of  your  work  was  during  the  peace  negotia- 


19061  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  305 

tions,  when  you  did  so  admirably;  but  it  is  evident  that 
until  things  settle  down  the  position  of  Ambassador  in 
Russia  is  a  working  position  with  small  certainty  of 
holiday  for  the  man  who  fills  it.  But,  my  dear  George, 
you  have  at  least  the  cold  comfort  of  feeling  that  when 
next  winter  you  come  into  the  Cabinet,  you  have  quite 
as  hard  and  as  irritating  work  here! 

"  '  Always  yours,  THEODORE  ROOSEVELT.' 

"  I  wired  Stolypin,1  '  Please  accept  my  heartfelt 
sympathy  for  your  affliction,  and  also  permit  me  to  ex 
press  my  relief  in  hearing  of  your  miraculous  escape.' 
His  little  girl  had  both  her  feet  blown  off  and  his  boy 
of  a  few  years  a  leg  broken. 

"September  1.  —  I  am  taken  to  call,  and  pre 
sented  by  Mr.  Adami  to  Prince  Christian  of  Schleswig- 
Holstein.  He  married  the  sister  of  the  King  of  Eng 
land.  He  lives  in  England  most  of  the  time,  I  be 
lieve  in  Cumberland  House.  He  was  most  agreeable, 
asked  many  questions  about  Russia.  Asked  if  the 
Emperor  was  not  a  weak  man.  This  I  avoided  by 
saying  that  he  struck  me  as  a  man  wanting  to  do  the 
best  for  his  country,  but  that  he  was  terribly  handi 
capped  by  his  advisors  and  surroundings. 

"  Prince  Christian  had  just  come  back  from  Ber 
lin,  where  he  had  represented  the  King  of  England  at 
the  christening.  He  had  seen  the  Grand  Duke  Vladi 
mir  and  thought  he  looked  very  badly;  asked  if  he  had 
kidney  trouble. 

fe  September  2.  —  Lunch    at    the    Kurhaus    with 

i  His  assassination  had  been  attempted  August  25. 


306  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V906 

Prince  Christian  and  M.  and  Madame  Adami.  The 
Prince  is  76,  but  very  hale  and  hearty.  He  was  very 
frank  at  lunching  at  not  liking  the  domination  of 
Prussia  in  Germany.  This  is  evidently  due  to  two 
causes,  one  living  in  England,  and  the  other  that 
Prussia  has  so  overshadowed  the  other  German  king 
doms  and  principalities  that  it  has  undoubtedly  aroused 
their  jealousies." 

To  President  Roosevelt 

BAD  KISSINGEN,  September  2,  1906. 
MY  DEAR  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

Thanks  for  your  letter  of  July  28.  It  only  reached  me 
August  27  (delay  in  Washington  and  slow  steamer). 

I  agree  with  all  you  say,  and  in  addition  I  appreciate  very 
much  having  had  the  good  fortune  to  have  been  associated  with 
you  during  the  peace  negotiations  and  to  have  been  your  rep 
resentative  at  Petersburg. 

It  is  not  the  work  at  the  Embassy  that  is  hard  now,  but 
the  task  of  guessing  the  outcome  of  events. 

I  should  welcome  your  call  next  winter  to  come  into  the 
Cabinet,  to  say  nothing  of  the  honour,  although  you  speak  of 
cold  comfort  on  account  of  the  work  being  as  hard  and  irritat 
ing  as  in  St.  Petersburg.  No  comfort  can  be  so  cold  as  this 
climate  of  Petersburg.  As  for  the  irritation,  I  had  an  expe 
rience  in  a  small  way  while  several  years  Speaker  of  the 
Massachusetts  House,  but  hard  work  I  have  always  liked.  .  .  . 

The  terrible  and  dastardly  attempt  on  Stolypin's  life 
which  resulted  in  the  killing  and  mutilation  of  thirty  or  forty 
people,  including  two  of  his  innocent  children,  shows  you  what 
any  future  leader  will  have  to  contend  against.  The  great  mass 
of  the  Russian  people  are  not  much  superior  to  animals  with 


turn  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  307 

brutal  instincts.  For  many  generations  they  have  been  op 
pressed  and  taxed,  uneducated,  living  without  any  comforts, 
barely  existing.  This  I  have  seen  with  my  own  eyes.  I  slept 
two  nights  on  the  floor  of  different  peasant  cabins,  while  bear- 
shooting,  only  halfway  between  St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow. 
If  the  Socialist  or  Anarchist  can  once  disabuse  the  minds  of 
these  eighty  million  peasants  of  the  idea  that  the  Tsar  is  their 
Little  Father,  and  that  they  can  expect  no  further  assistance 
from  him,  but  must  look  to  the  people  for  redress,  then  events 
which  have  so  far  transpired  would  appear  legitimate  in  com 
parison  to  what  would  probably  take  place  throughout  the 
land. 

One  must  live  in  Russia  to  understand  it.  It  is  impos 
sible  to  draw  any  conclusion  from  experiences  and  results  in 
other  countries. 

Every  step  or  attempt  that  has  been  carried  on  in  a  revo 
lutionary  way  has  been  made  without  reference  to  what  has 
gone  on  before  or  what  is  to  follow.  They  do  not  know  what 
they  want,  except  that  they  want  everything  at  once  —  what 
has  taken  other  nations  generations  to  acquire. 

Professor  Vinogradoff  said  the  other  day :  "  The  Russian 
Nation  will  realize  as  other  nations  have  done  before,  that  a 
living  organization  cannot  transform  bones  and  sinews  at 
pleasure ;  that  the  future  has  deeper  roots  in  the  past,  than  the 
present  is  inclined  to  grant." 

The  Revolutionists  have  not  grasped  the  fact  that  it  is  as 
necessary  for  them  to  have  organization  as  for  established  gov 
ernment,  and  strange  to  say,  the  events  have  not  developed  on 
either  side  a  single  man  who  could  be  pointed  to  as  a  leader  or 
[who]  stood  noticeably  above  and  superior  to  those  about  him 
sufficiently  to  impress  himself  upon  the  national  mind  as  the 
man  for  the  occasion.  Consequently  each  reform  or  revolu 
tionary  party  has  worked  for  an  object  in  its  own  way. 


308  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

The  Tsar  does  not  seem  yet  to  realize  that  in  the  long 
run  the  will  of  the  people  will  eventually  assert  itself.  Every 
thing  that  he  grants  is  done  either  too  late  or  when  it  is  self- 
evident  that  it  is  forced  from  him.  Unless  he  changes  his 
course  and  adopts  a  policy  satisfactory  to  the  nation,  it  is 
merely  a  question  of  how  long  the  army  remains  loyal. 

I  am  taking  the  cure  here  very  conscientiously,  getting  up, 
every  morning  at  6.30,  drinking  three  glasses  of  water  that 
taste  as  though  they  had  a  rotten  egg  broken  in,  and  taking 
a  stiff  walk  of  an  hour  up  a  mountain  before  breakfast.  All 
walks,  however,  seem  tame  after  that  one  you  took  me  outside 
of  Washington  last  November. 

After  the  cure  is  completed  here  (loth  September),  the 
doctor  wants  me  to  go  to  the  mountains  for  a  short  time,  as 
the  waters  let  one  down. 

Rest  assured,  Mr.  President,  that  if  the  occasion  is  such 
that  my  presence  is  required  in  Petersburg,  I  shall  not  take  an 
after-cure  and  am  prepared  also  to  leave  here  in  the  middle 
of  my  cure  at  a  moment's  notice. 

Believe  me, 

1  Faithfully  yours, 

G.  v.  L.  MEYEB. 


[Diary] 

(( September  5.  —  Grand  Duke  Paul  of  Russia 
arrives  with  his  wife.  She  was  the  wife  of  an  officer 
in  one  of  the  guard  regiments.  The  Grand  Duke  fell 
in  love  with  her.  She  leaves  her  husband  and  goes 
with  the  Grand  Duke  Paul.  The  Emperor  banishes 
him  from  Russia.  They  get  divorced  from  their  re 
spective  wife  and  husband  and  are  then  married.  The 
Emperor  has  since  allowed  Paul  to  enter  Russia,  but 


1906]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  309 

not  with  his  wife.  They  should  go  to  New  York;  they 
would  find  plenty  of  company  there. 

[St.  Petersburg]  "September  26.  —  Dine  with  Sir 
A.  Nicolson  and  Lady  Nicolson  at  the  British  Em 
bassy.  Interesting  talk  after  dinner  with  Sir  Donald 
Mackenzie  [Wallace].  As  I  had  been  absent  for  five 
weeks  in  Germany  taking  my  cure,  I  was  not  sure  on 
my  return,  whether  it  was  my  imagination  or  not,  but 
Petersburg  appeared  calmer  and  more  tranquil.  He 
assured  me  that  it  was  really  a  fact.  He  knew  from 
good  authority  that  the  workmen  had  shown  decided 
evidences  of  being  tired  of  being  used  for  political  pur 
poses,  and  they  were  becoming  unwilling  to  obey  the 
order  of  political  agitators ;  that  some  of  the  local  elec 
tions  were  returning  candidates  that  were  conservative 
and  defeating  Extreme  Left  candidates;  that  the 
'  black  hundred '  were  increasing  their  influence,  which 
goes  to  show  people  are  tired  and  disgusted  with  all 
this  destruction  of  property  and  murder  by  bombs,  etc. 
If  only  the  Government  would  keep  its  head  now  and 
not  commit  some  action  which  would  drive  back  to  the 
ranks  of  the  revolutionists  those  who  were  beginning 
to  leave  them! 

ff  September  27.  —  Call  by  appointment  at  the 
Foreign  Office  at  12  o'clock  on  Mr.  Iswolsky,  the  main 
object  being  to  put  before  him  the  U.  S.  Government's 
plan  to  have  Consul-Generals  at  large,  who  will  be 
appointed  over  several  countries.  ...  I  told  Iswol 
sky  that  I  expected  early  in  October  to  go  to  An- 
toniny  in  Volhynia,  and  from  there  later  on  to  Odessa. 
I  then  congratulated  him  on  the  changed  atmosphere 


310  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V906 

of  Petersburg,  there  being  practically  no  disturbances 
now.  He  became  quite  frank  and  spoke  of  the  English 
and  French  press,  how  unjust  they  were  in  the  atti 
tude  they  took  in  almost  sympathizing  with  the  terror 
ists  and  bomb-throwers.  Very  probably  the  Govern 
ment  had  made  mistakes,  but  how  unwisely  the  Cadets 
had  behaved  in  attempting  to  work  with  the  revolution 
ists  and  then  having  that  Viborg  meeting,  which  action 
put  them  outside  the  pale  of  official  recognition.  He 
also  praised  Stolypin,  who,  notwithstanding  that 
dastardly  attack,  had  not  deviated  since  from  the 
course  he  had  previously  laid  out.  He  thought  he  saw 
signs  of  improvement.  In  leaving  he  begged  me  not 
to  go  to  Odessa  or  travel  without  first  notifying  him." 

Before  taking  the  trip  to  Volhynia  foretold  in  the 
preceding  entry,  Meyer  related  in  a  letter  to  his  wife 
some  experiences  of  Russian  society  and  sport  which 
are  worth  recording. 

To  Mrs.  Meyer 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  October  5,  1906. 

.  .  .  Last  Friday  morning  I  again  got  a  message  from 
the  Grand  Duchess  to  come  down  and  dine  that  evening.  I  had 
intended  leaving  for  Narva  on  the  five  o'clock  train,  but 
could  not  again  say  that  I  was  off  shooting,  so  postponed  leav 
ing  until  next  morning  and  went  to  dinner  at  Tsarskoe.  Prince 
Dolgorouky  and  myself  were  bound  for  the  same  destination, 
and  Prince  Youssoupoff  *  was  also  on  the  train ;  he  told  me 
that  he  had  wonderful  wolf-shooting  outside  of  Moscow,  and 

i  It  was  in  the  Petersburg  palace  of  this  Prince — see  p.  276,  cvnte — 
that  the  monk  Rasputin  was  murdered,  December  31,  1916. 


isan  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  311 

later  on,  if  conditions  would  permit,  that  he  intended  to  invite 
me  to  go  shooting  there  with  him. 

At  the  Vladimirs'  the  guests  were  all  assembled  awaiting 
our  arrival,  and  consisted  of  Grand  Duke  Andre,  the  Fersens, 
the  Annenkoffs,  Knorring,  Hohenlohe,  and  one  or  two  ladies- 
in-waiting  and  aides-de-camp.  The  dinner  was  informal  and 
no  champagne  served,  which  is  always  the  way  when  the  Grand 
Duchess  is  there,  as  she  realizes  how  bad  it  is  for  her  husband. 
The  ladies  all  walked  in  first,  the  men  following  after,  every  one 
stopping,  however,  in  the  first  antecamera,  in  order  to  have 
zakuski,  which  consists  as  usual  of  caviar,  raw  fish,  smoked  fish, 
pate-de-foie-gras.  a  few  petits  verres  of  vodka,  and  the  whisky 
which  I  sent  the  Grand  Duke,  which  seems  to  be  much  appre 
ciated.  After  dinner  the  Grand  Duke  formed  his  bridge  tables 
as  quickly  as  possible,  as  Dolgorouky  and  I  had  to  return  on 
the  11.07  train.  The  two  Royal  Highnesses,  during  the  game 
of  bridge,  had  a  spat,  and  while  they  were  having  it  out,  I 
found  it  necessary  to  go  and  select  a  cigar,  which  took  me  some 
time,  Countess  Fersen  claiming  that  I  deserted  her  in  the  midst 
of  trouble.  At  eleven  we  left  for  the  station,  and  we  had 
hardly  got  there  when  I  saw  the  train  approaching  and  another 
one  coming  in  the  opposite  direction.  It  was  necessary  to  get 
across  the  track,  and  as  there  is  a  drop  of  three  feet,  I  without 
any  ceremony  jumped  down  and  went  over  on  to  the  other  side. 
Poor  old  Prince  Dolgorouky,  with  his  long  coat  and  sword,  did 
not  dare  to  attempt  it,  and  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  go 
under  the  track  by  the  tunnel.  He  consequently  lost  the  train, 
the  station-master  refusing  to  hold  it,  and  the  poor  old  man 
had  to  wait  till  twenty  minutes  to  one  for  the  next  train.  I 
met  him  this  morning,  and  he  told  me  that  he  had  been  per 
fectly  furious  and  succeeded  in  having  the  station-master  dis 
missed. 

The   next   morning  I    started    for   Narva    in    the    Baltic 


312  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Provinces,  where  I  went  shooting  with  a  Mr.  Medhurst  and 
Admiral  Wirenius,  Chief  of  Staff  in  the  Marine  Service,  and 
who  was  also  in  command  of  the  volunteer  fleet  that  started 
from  the  Baltic  Sea  in  the  late  war.  He  was  a  most  charming 
old  man  —  on  one  hand  had  only  a  thumb  and  two  fingers,  but 
he  was  able  to  manipulate  his  knife  and  fork  in  a  most  capable 
way,  but  turned  out  to  be  a  very  poor  shot.  We  did  not 
manage  to  do  very  well,  it  hailing  one  minute  and  later  blowing 
very  hard,  and  a  little  while  later  the  sun  coming  out. 

However,  we  had  a  good  outing  in  the  woods  and  some 
sport. 

A  most  amusing  incident  took  place.  We  had  about  forty 
girls  and  women  for  beaters,  and  such  costumes  you  never  saw ; 
boots  that  came  to  their  knees,  a  soiled  flannel  petticoat  which 
reached  to  the  tops  of  their  boots,  a  waist  that  was  made,  in 
most  cases,  out  of  an  old  bed  comforter,  no  hat,  but  frequently 
a  small  shawl  pulled  over  their  heads.  They  worked  very  hard 
and  were  very  willing.  In  the  middle  of  the  day  we  all  lunched 
in  the  woods,  a  fire  being  made,  and  the  beaters  surrounded 
us  as  we  sat  at  the  fire,  in  order  to  get  some  benefit,  and  without 
any  ceremony  or  embarrassment  commenced  eating  their  black 
bread.  Ours  was  also  frugal,  but  tasted  very  well,  being  sliced 
ham,  potatoes  cooked  in  the  fire,  bread  and  butter,  beer  and 
whisky  and  soda.  When  we  had  finished,  we  gave  what  was  left 
to  the  old  women  among  the  beaters,  and  then  Medhurst  said 
to  me :  "I  will  show  you  something  that  will  amuse  you ;  "  so 
he  called  out  in  Russian  that  the  four  oldest  women  should  each 
have  a  glass  of  vodka ;  whereupon  they  assembled  and  danced 
a  weird,  oriental  step,  crossing  themselves  and  kneeling  to  re 
ceive  the  glass  of  vodka,  which  they  poured  down  their  throats 
as  a  hackman  throws  a  glass  of  whisky,  keeping,  however,  the 
last  drop  to  anoint  their  heads.  As  soon  as  they  had  felt  the 
warming  effects,  they  again  commenced  to  dance  in  the  greatest 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  313 

spirit,  a  step  which  resembles  in  some  respects  the  Hungarian 
national  dance.  Although  the  women  had  been  tramping  all 
the  morning,  they  started  off  again  as  fresh  as  could  be,  and 
kept  it  up  till  six.  Then,  when  their  labours  were  over,  they 
were  all  obliged  to  assemble  in  pairs,  one  standing  directly  be 
hind  the  other,  in  order  that  they  might  be  counted  and  ac 
counted  for.  Their  pay  is  only  30  kopecks  a  day.  I  told  Mr. 
Medhurst  to  tell  them  that  I  would  also  give  them,  as  a 
douceur,  ten  kopecks  apiece  additional;  whereupon  they  all 
made  a  rush  and  formed  a  circle  —  and  for  a  moment  I  dreaded 
that  they  were  going  to  attempt  to  salute  my  hand,  as  is  so 
common  among  the  peasants.  But  they  took  it  out  in  running 
around  me  and  screaming  in  Russian :  "  Oh,  but  he  is  a  great 
and  good  man ! "  Admiral  Wirenius,  not  to  be  outdone,  then 
announced  that  he  would  make  the  same  present  to  each  of 
the  beaters.  Their  joy  was  unbounded,  and,  feeling  that  he 
was  of  the  same  race,  they  made  a  rush  for  him  and  lifted  him 
in  the  air,  throwing  him  up  as  one  tosses  a  man  in  a  blanket. 
This  they  did  several  times,  to  my  astonishment,  and  to  his 
amusement.  It  exemplified,  Medhurst  told  me,  the  good  feeling 
that  existed  at  one  time  between  the  peasants  and  the  Russian 
landowners  in  the  districts  where  they  had  always  been  well- 
treated.  Shortly  afterwards,  they  dispersed,  chanting  a  song 
which  you  have  heard  the  boatmen  sing  on  the  Krestovsky 
Canal.  .  .  . 

To-morrow  evening  I  am  leaving  in  a  private  car  for 
Antoniny,  Potocki's  place,  and  Stumm  is  going  on  the  train 
with  me.  I  may  decide,  after  staying  a  week  there,  to  go  on 
to  Odessa  and  Sebastopol.  Should  I  carry  out  that  plan,  I 
shall  wire  Major  Gibson  to  meet  me  at  Odessa. 

The  hunting  party  which  Meyer  joined  at  Anto 
niny,  an  estate  of  Count  Potocki  in  Volhynia,  is  de- 


314  GEORGE  VON  L,  MEYER 

scribed  with  much  detail  in  the  diary  —  the  cosmo 
politan  group,  Russian,  Austrian,  German,  Brazilian, 
American,  the  luxurious  establishment,  including  even 
a  photographer,  —  "  There  is  one  man  apparently  on 
the  place  that  does  nothing  else,"  -  the  gaiety  of  it  all, 
undimmed  by  any  thought  that  the  house  itself  would 
be  one  of  the  many  in  Russia  of  which  not  one  stone 
would  be  left  standing  on  another  at  the  end  of  the 
war  that  was  to  come  only  ten  years  later.  Meyer 
had  already  visited  the  place  in  the  previous  July,  when 
he  had  thus  described  it  in  his  journal:  — 

"  Antoniny  is  in  Volhynia.  None  of  the  estates 
have  very  old  houses,  as  the  country  was  continually 
swept  and  burnt  by  the  Tartars.  This  place  was  estab 
lished  in  1803.  The  house  has  been  continually  added 
to,  the  last  and  principal  addition  being  only  two 
years  ago.  It  is  something  like  a  French  chateau  with 
Mttle  pretensions  to  architecture  exteriorly.  You  enter 
a  great  hall  two  stories  high;  wings  run  off  from  this 
like  the  two  sides  of  a  triangle.  The  decorations  are 
French  style,  Louis  Quinze,  etc.  Everything  very 
comfortable,  with  modern  improvements  in  the  way  of 
plumbing,  also  every  other  luxury  in  the  way  of  ex 
cellent  chef  and  fine  wine,  stable  of  sixty  horses,  two 
packs  of  hounds,  pheasant  shooting  in  the  autumn,  and 
riding  to  hounds  across  country. 

"  The  peasants  have  not  the  sad  and  sullen  looks 
which  one  sees  now  in  Russia  and  were  very  respectful, 
always  taking  off  their  hats,  and  when  the  Count 
stopped  to  speak  to  them,  kissing  the  sleeve  of  his  coat. 
He  has  a  great  estate  with  five  beet-sugar  factories 


«  « 

c  c 

3    3 

o  o 
CJO 


S 

6-8 
•§ 


*4!  = 

/^    <u  <u  >> 

O    -G  -C  VG 

r1  *  "^Js 

X  •-?  -r  y 


o 

>x  w  M 

£  «  S 

H  C  *f 


. 

Ill 


_ 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  315 

and  one  up-to-date  refinery,  all  of  which  must  be  very 
profitable,  as  he  keeps  a  tremendous  establishment, 
very  well  carried  out  and  well  done  in  every  detail, 
which  must  consume  a  great  deal  of  money,  although 
wages  here  are  almost  nothing.  The  peasants  live  in 
houses  with  no  comforts,  except  those  of  squalor. 
Great  contrast  to  what  you  see  in  Germany." 

The  October  days  of  hunting  at  Antoniny  must  be 
passed  over  for  Mr.  Meyer's  summary  of  his  entire 
trip  in  a  letter  written  to  his  wife  on  the  day  of  his 
return  to  the  capital. 

To  Mrs.  Meyer 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  October  28,  1906. 

As  Petersburg  was  very  quiet  and  conditions  improving 
throughout  the  country,  I  took  the  opportunity,  early  in  Octo 
ber,  to  travel  in  Russia  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  for  myself 
the  actual  state  of  affairs.  I  went  by  one  road  to  Odessa,  via 
Vilna,  passing  through  Russian  Poland,  and  returned  by 
another  road  from  Sebastopol  to  Petersburg  via  Moscow.  In 
this  way  I  covered  a  great  portion  of  the  country  from  the 
60th  degree  of  latitude  to  the  43rd. 

In  passing  through  Vilna  I  saw  about  a  hundred  poor 
devils  being  escorted  by  Cossacks  with  drawn  swords  to  a  train 
of  cars  with  grated  windows.  They  were  about  to  be  trans 
ported  to  Siberia.  If  they  were  a  fair  sample  of  revolutionists 
they  were  certainly  not  prepossessing-looking  —  the  greater 
number  being  Jews. 

In  Volhynia  there  had  been  some  apprehension  as  to 
whether  the  peasants  would  haul  the  beet  root  to  the  various 
sugar  factories,  but  on  my  arrival  they  had  begun,  as  usual, 
to  do  the  necessary  work  in  that  connection,  to  the  relief  of 


316  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  I190e 

the  proprietors.  I  stopped  a  few  nights  with  the  Potockifc  and 
had  to  drive  forty  versts  across  country  at  midnight.  The 
Government  insisted  upon  furnishing  an  escort  of  four  Cos 
sacks  in  relays.  It  was  quite  unnecessary,  but  I  could  not  help 
admiring  the  way  they  rode  their  horses  and  the  endurance 
that  the  animals  showed.  The  next  day  I  rode  across  country 
with  Potocki  and  his  pack  of  hounds,  after  hares,  and  the  kill 
was  in  a  peasant's  field  many  miles  away  from  his  home.  A 
number  of  the  peasants  assembled  around  us,  but  without  any 
demonstrations  of  displeasure.  The  following  day  we  had  a 
pheasant  shoot  on  his  estate,  and  killed  over  a  thousand  (seven 
guns).1  I  shot  to  my  own  gun  235. 

All  the  way  to  Odessa  the  country  shows  that  the  peasants 
were  ploughing  their  fields  and  hauling  loads  of  the  beet-root 
to  the  station.  In  the  city  of  Odessa  there  are  more  than 
150,000  Jews,  being  fully  one  third  of  the  population.  The 
first  night  I  walked  about  the  city  with  Major  Gibson,  our 
Military  Attache,  and  found  the  streets  quite  deserted.  The 
watchmen  in  the  middle  of  the  streets  were  placed  at  intervals 
of  every  few  hundred  feet,  and  gendarmes  with  loaded  rifles  and 
fixed  bayonets  were  at  nearly  every  corner.  The  streets  were 
absolutely  quiet  in  consequence  and  I  saw  or  heard  no  signs  of 
disturbances.  The  Prefect  had  placed  two  police  officers  at  the 
door  of  my  hotel  and  desired  them  to  follow  me  about,  but  I 
requested  to  be  spared  that  annoyance.  The  next  day  I  wan 
dered  about  the  docks  and  found  them  teeming  with  commerce, 
steamers  loading  and  unloading  merchandise.  The  Jews  here 
are  not  confined  to  any  special  quarters,  although  they  are 
naturally  more  prevalent  in  some  parts  than  others. 

I  dined  with  General  Baron  Kaulbars,  the  Military  Gov 
ernor,  in  his  palace.  He  had  had  a  command  in  the  last  part 

i"I  asked  Potocki  what  became  of  them  all.  He  replied  that  they 
had  an  order  for  500  from  Moscow,  the  rest  would  go  to  Odessa  and 
Warsaw."  (Diary.) 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  317 

of  the  war  in  Manchuria.  After  the  Boxer  troubles  he  re 
turned  home  from  China  by  the  way  of  San  Francisco,  Chicago, 
and  New  York,  and  became  an  ardent  admirer  of  America.  He 
is  an  active,  energetic  man  of  about  sixty  years,  but  fine  ap 
pearance,  and  impressed  me  as  an  honourable  man,  endeavour 
ing  to  do  his  duty.  He  told  me  that  he  intended  to  establish 
law  and  order  and  should  punish  all  alike,  whether  Jew  or 
Russian,  when  guilty  of  crime  or  creating  disturbances.  His 
energy,  I  think,  must  be  due  to  his  English  mother.  He  was 
exceedingly  frank  and  talked  most  openly.  He  mentioned  a 
society  that  had  been  formed,  "Russia  for  Russians,"  its  object 
being  to  arouse  patriotism  and  oppose  the  revolution.  He 
stated  in  rather  a  pessimistic  way,  that  if  Russia  was  to  be 
saved,  it  must  be  through  patriotism,  then  referred  to  American 
progressiveness  and  the  lack  of  initiative  or  love  of  work  among 
the  Russians.  At  dinner  his  wife  described  the  attempt  on  the 
life  of  her  husband  a  short  time  ago.  It  appears  that  the 
daughter  of  a  General,  and  the  former  schoolmate  of  his 
daughter,  came  to  see  him.  She  had  the  day  before  lunched 
with  the  family.  She  spoke  of  her  father's  death  and  her 
troubles.  General  Kaulbars  expressed  so  much  sympathy  for 
her  that  she  broke  down  when  he  told  her  that  she  should  look 
to  him  as  her  future  father.  Immediately  after,  she  left  the 
house,  dropping  a  bomb  on  the  sidewalk  which  only  partly  ex 
ploded  She  then  fled  to  her  hotel  next  door  and  shot  herself 
in  her  room. 

It  appears  that  she  had  arrived  in  Odessa  with  her  lover. 
In  several  instances  the  revolutionists,  in  these  attempts,  have 
hidden  behind  women's  skirts.  They  gain  the  affection  of  a 
young  woman  and  then  bind  her  to  commit  the  crime.  In  this 
case  again,  the  man  escaped.  Baroness  Kaulbars  said  that  she 
had  evidently  been  unnerved  by  the  General's  sympathy  and 
either  dropped  the  bomb  by  mistake,  or  hoped  it  would  destroy 


318  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

her,  because,  as  she  had  failed  to  make  the  attempt,  she  knew 
that  she  would  be  condemned  to  death  by  her  own  society. 

I  asked  Kaulbars  about  the  class  of  Jews  that  were  to  sail 
shortly  for  America.  He  smiled  and  replied  that  they  had  seven 
million  in  Russia  that  we  were  welcome  to.  I  informed  him  that 
I  had  that  morning  warned  the  steamship  agent  that  of  the 
thousand  that  were  shortly  to  be  shipped  from  Odessa  to  New 
York,  if  any  had  criminal  records  or  were  unable  to  pass  our 
medical  inspection,  they  would  have  to  be  brought  back  to 
Odessa  at  the  expense  of  the  steamship  company. 

The  Military  Governor  showed  me  the  whips  made  of 
twisted  wire  with  a  lead  ball  on  the  end  which  had  been  taken 
away  from  revolutionary  students.  They  carry  them  hooked 
to  their  sleeves  on  the  inside  of  their  coats.  He  also  showed 
me  the  Cossack  whip,  which  is  almost  equally  cruel,  but  without 
the  lead  ball  or  wire.  The  Prefet  of  the  city,  who  was  at  the 
dinner,  extended  me  the  use  of  his  box  at  the  opera.  General 
Kaulbars  sent  his  A.D.C.  and  excused  himself,  as  he  had  re 
ceived  a  letter  that  morning  assuring  him  that  he  was  to  be 
killed.  He  added  that  he  did  not  feel  it  was  right  to  expose  us, 
as  his  would-be  assassins  were  indifferent  to  the  lives  of  others 
when  using  the  bomb. 

At  the  opera  General  Kaulbars's  brother  assured  me  that 
while  his  brother  was  in  command  of  Odessa  there  would  be  no 
pogroms.  I  found  Cohen  in  Odessa.  I  had  previously  met  him  in 
Petersburg.  He  is  investigating,  as  you  know,  the  emigration 
and  Jewish  question.  He  will  be  able  to  gather  a  good  deal  of 
information,  but  not  always  absolutely  reliable,  as  he  is  not  able 
to  stay  in  a  place  long  enough  to  verify  everything,  and  in  most 
cases  he  will  only  hear  the  Jewish  side.  The  Government  offi 
cials,  in  reporting  disturbances,  often  leave  out  evidence  that 
would  be  detrimental  to  them,  and  the  Jews  also  frequently  make 
statements  based  on  rumours  [of  events]  which  have  never 


limn  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  319 

actually  taken  place.  The  facts  are  generally  bad,  without 
requiring  exaggeration  on  either  side. 

From  Odessa  I  took  the  steamer  to  Sebastopol,  which  is 
a  closed  port,  but  England  and  Turkey  still  continue  to  hold 
their  Consuls,  to  the  annoyance  of  the  Russians.  The  British 
Consul's  name  is  Erskine.  His  grandfather  was  Minister  to 
Washington  in  the  early  part  of  our  history,  and  married  Miss 
Cadwalader,  of  Philadelphia. 

We  were  met  as  our  steamship  came  up  to  the  pier  by  an 
A.D.C.  of  Admiral  Skrydloff's  and  an  A.D.C.  of  the  General 
of  the  fortifications.  They  never  left  our  sides ;  whether  it  was 
entirely  courtesy,  or  due  to  the  fact  that  I  had  a  Military 
Attache  with  me,  I  will  not  say.  They  took  us  in  the  Admiral's 
steam  launch  about  the  harbour,  which  seemed  as  dead  as  that 
of  Salem.  I  supposed  that  they  were  going  to  show  us  the  forti 
fications  and  barracks,  and  consequently  Major  Gibson's  in 
terest  was  getting  aroused.  We  landed,  but  ended  in  the  ceme 
tery  only  —  ihere  we  were  permitted  to  walk  about  freely. 

Not  many  years  ago  the  harbour  was  the  scene  of  an  at 
tempted  revolution,  which  resulted  in  the  sinking  of  a  transport 
and  the  burning  of  a  new  cruiser  which  had  just  been  on  a  trial 
trip  and  constructed  as  fireproof.  On  that  occasion  the  red 
flag  suddenly  appeared  in  the  streets  of  Sebastopol,  and  who 
ever  met  it  was  compelled  to  raise  his  hat.  About  three  months 
ago  Admiral  Skrydloff  succeeded  Admiral  Chuknin,  who  had 
been  shot  in  the  garden  of  his  villa,  by  a  sailor  whom  he  had 
befriended  and  made  his  gardener.  The  present  commander,  in 
speaking  of  the  disturbances,  remarked  that  they  would  never 
succeed  as  long  as  the  mutineers  were  unable  to  induce  the 
officers  to  join.  Admiral  Skrydloff  was  the  officer  sent  out  to 
Vladivostok  to  take  command  of  the  flying  squadron.  He  got 
drunk  out  there  (nothing  very  rare  in  the  Russian  Navy)  and 
was  not  permitted  to  take  command. 


320  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

The  previous  British  Consul  had  taken  rooms  in  the  top 
of  the  highest  dwelling-house.  Soon  afterwards  he  was  re 
quested  to  change  his  domicile  because  it  commanded  a  view  of 
the  fortifications.  The  Panorama  Building,  containing  a  paint 
ing  of  the  French  storming  the  fortifications,  is  on  the  highest 
point  of  land  adjoining  the  city.  The  officers  who  accompanied 
us  politely  opposed  my  ascending  to  the  top  of  the  building,  but 
as  I  insisted,  they  could  say  no  more.  I  found  that  when  I  got 
up  there  it  gave  a  complete  view  of  the  fort  and  the  new  forti 
fications  constructed  in  late  years,  which  explained  their  objec 
tions.  The  next  day  we  drove  eighty  versts  to  Yalta,  on  the 
Crimean  coast,  stopping  at  the  battlefield  of  Balaclava.  I  can 
now  understand  why  Lord  Cardigan  made  that  charge  —  it 
was  an  ideal,  long,  smooth  field,  for  a  hunting  man  such  as  he 
was,  accustomed  to  ride  to  hounds. 

The  coast,  after  one  passes  the  Gates  of  Baidai,  is  much 
finer  than  the  Riviera,  and  reminded  me  somewhat  of  the  drive 
from  Sorrento  to  Amalfi.  Much  attention  is  being  paid  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  grape  and  they  are  producing  an  excellent 
wine,  in  which  the  royal  family  have  a  very  large  interest. 

At  Yalta  I  was  escorted  by  a  company  of  Tartars  dressed 
as  Cossacks  to  the  Palace  of  the  Emperor  at  Livadia.  It  is  an 
ideal  place,  beautifully  laid  out,  and  formerly  belonging  to  the 
Potockis.  From  there  I  drove  over  the  mountains  to  Bakchi- 
serai,  an  ancient  Tartar  capital  on  a  military  road  80  versts 
long;  and  for  the  first  time  in  Russia  I  saw  a  road  really  prop 
erly  constructed  and  such  as  one  might  find  in  France.  The 
ascent  is  very  gradual  and  through  beautiful  forests,  but  one 
rises  finally  to  the  height  of  4,000  feet.  From  Simferopol, 
where  my  car  was  awaiting  me,  I  proceeded  to  Moscow.  There 
I  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  invited  to  lunch  by  the  Grand 
Duchess  Serge,1  who  is  living  in  the  Kremlin  Palace.  She  in- 

iBorn  Princess  Elizabeth  of  Hesse. 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  321 

formed  me  that  her  interests  were  no  longer  English  or  German, 
but  she  had  become  entirely  Russian  in  her  sympathies  and 
ideas.  You  will  remember  that  she  was  born  German  and  her 
mother  was  English.  She  is  very  beautiful  and  has  great  charm 
of  manner.  The  amount  of  money  which  was  expended  on  the 
addition  to  the  Kremlin  Palace  after  Napoleon's  departure 
from  Moscow,  which  took  sixteen  years  to  construct,  must  have 
been  something  stupendous.  This  expenditure,  and  the  in 
numerable  treasures  in  gold  and  silver  in  the  various  Moscow 
churches  would  go  very  far  towards  paying  the  war  debt.  One 
cannot  help  feeling  what  a  pity  it  is  that  some  of  this  money 
has  not  been  spent  in  educating  and  improving  the  conditions 
of  the  hundred  millions  of  peasants,  many  of  whom  live  in  a 
manner  fit  only  for  animals. 

Except  for  the  armed  gendarmes  in  the  cities  of  Moscow 
and  Odessa,  and  troops  stationed  in  two  of  the  railway  depots, 
nowhere  had  I  seen  the  slightest  sign  of  disturbances  or  evidence 
of  revolution.  The  people  appeared  peaceable  and  industrious, 
according  to  their  mode  of  life,  and  we  were  treated  with  cour 
tesy  and  consideration  wherever  we  went.  By  this  I  do  not  mean 
to  imply  that  disturbances  or  troubles  are  over.  I  think  it  is  only 
a  lull  and  that  now  the  minds  of  the  people  are  taken  up  and 
occupied  with  the  coming  elections.  My  own  impression  is  that 
the  Duma,  when  it  assembles  next  March,  will  be  fully  as  radical, 
if  not  more  so,  than  the  last  one. 

With  a  great  deal  of  love  for  the  girls  and  yourself,  ever, 
Your  affectionate, 

HUSBAND. 

[Diary] 

"October  28.  —  Arrived  in  Petersburg  at  10  A.M. 
It  was  quite  cold,  water  in  the  fields  had  frozen  during 
the  night. 


322  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V906 

"  It  struck  me  as  I  drove  to  the  hotel  through  the 
Nevsky  that  the  street  seemed  very  deserted  for  that 
time  in  the  morning.  When  I  reached  the  hotel  I 
learned  that  while  600,000  roubles  was  being  trans 
ported  through  the  city,  Saturday  A.M.,  some  men  sur 
rounded  the  wagon,  which  was  being  guarded  by  half 
a  dozen  soldiers  and  threw  a  bomb,  and  in  a  few  sec 
onds  a  second.  This  smashed  all  the  windows  in  the 
opposite  houses  and  caused  a  stampede.  In  the  con 
fusion  the  money  was  seized  by  the  conspirators  and 
handed  to  a  woman,  who  drove  off  instantly  in  a  car 
riage.  Shots  were  exchanged,  but  the  thieves  escaped 
with  half  the  money,  about  300,000  roubles. 

"  I  visited  the  place  in  the  afternoon  and  found 
very  little  damage  was  done  except  to  the  windows, 
and  evidently  the  bombs  that  were  used  were  meant 
to  frighten  rather  than  to  injure,  which  was  exactly 
the  result  accomplished. 

"  Call  on  Lady  Nicolson  and  find  the  Ambassador 
and  Sir  Donald  MacKenzie  [Wallace]  there  also. 
They  all  wanted  to  know  if  it  was  true  that  they  were 
going  to  lose  me  and  I  was  going  home  to  enter  Presi 
dent's  Roosevelt's  family. 

ff  November  5.  —  The  American  papers  arrive  an 
nouncing  that  it  is  official  —  the  changes  in  the 
Cabinet.  Cortelyou  to  become  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury;  Bonaparte,  Attorney  General;  myself  Post 
master  General;  Metcalf,  Secretary  of  Navy;  and 
Straus,  Commerce  and  Labour.  The  latter  is  a  Jew, 
and  [it  is]  the  first  time  a  Jew  has  been  in  a  Presi 
dent's  Cabinet.  I  had  imagined  that  I  was  to  be 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  323 

Secretary  of  the  Navy,  as  that  was  the  original  plan, 
Bonaparte  to  Moody's  place,  and  I  to  slip  into  that 
of  Bonaparte.  Postmaster  General  outranks  Secre 
tary  of  Navy,  but  I  do  not  believe  it  will  be  as  inter 
esting.  The  cost  of  maintenance  is  about  $200,000,000, 
and  I  believe  the  deficit  for  the  year  [is]  about 
$11,000,000,  due  chiefly  to  the  second-class  matter. 

ff  November  16.  —  Dine  with  Mrs.  Napier  and 
Colonel  Napier.1  Prince  von  Billow,  in  his  speech  at 
the  Reichstag  on  the  modern  diplomat,  said  the  diplo 
matist  who  keeps  in  touch  with  banking  and  commer 
cial  circles,  who  knows  how  to  deal  with  the  press,  who 
numbers  influential  members  of  Parliament  and  men 
of  affairs  among  his  friends,  will  have  a  great  advan 
tage  over  his  colleagues.  The  man  who  succeeded  was 
more  commonly  the  man  who  could  turn  the  situa 
tion  to  best  account.  There  was  such  a  thing  as 
*  mimickry '  in  diplomacy,  and  he  sometimes  advised 
young  diplomats  to  take  for  their  model  Alcibiades, 
who  was  intellectual  with  the  Athenians,  ate  black 
broth  with  the  Spartans,  and  wore  flowing  garments 
among  the  Persians.  The  profligacy  of  Alcibiades 
need  not  be  imitated,  but  faculty  of  adaptation  did 
not  imply  lack  of  character  or  exclude  real  patriotism. 
The  diplomatist  ought  not  to  be  guided  by  precon 
ceived  notions  or  fixed  sympathies  or  enmities. 

ff  November  23.  —  The  German  Emperor  the  other 
day  at  Munich,  in  talking  with  the  novelist  Ganghofer, 
spoke  in  praise  of  optimism :  '  I  myself  work  on  with 
out  being  disheartened  and  I  believe  I  actually  make 

i  Military  Attach^  to  British  Embassy. 


324  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

progress.'  He  praised  Ganghofer's  remark  in  a  novel 
that  'the  man  who  is  suspicious  wrongs  others  and 
injures  himself.' 

"  Clemenceau  a  few  days  later  in  an  interview  said, 
'  I  do  not  want  any  war  and  if  one  does  not  want  war 
one  wants  good  relations.' 

"  Pichon,  the  new  minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  said 
the  next  day,  '  I  really  do  not  see  why  we  should  not 
have  good  relations  with  Germany.'  All  this  may 
have  a  good  effect. 

ff  December  3.  —  Dine  at  the  Marquise  de  Belloy's. 

"  Gurka,  assistant  Minister  of  the  Interior,  dis 
missed  —  on  account  of  the  scandal  of  [$  ?]  10,000,000 
food  contract  for  delivery  of  wheat  in  the  famine  dis 
trict.  The  contract  was  given  to  one  Lyndal  to  fur 
nish  the  grain,  and  $400,000  advanced.  The  party  had 
never  dealt  in  grain  before,  but  in  plumbing  materials. 
It  is  a  severe  crack  at  the  Cabinet,  and  much  political 
capital  is  being  made  out  of  it.  The  Emperor  has 
appointed  a  committee  to  investigate. 

"  December  4-  —  Find  a  cable  when  I  return  to 
my  room  this  evening  from  T.  Jefferson  Coolidge 
reading,  '  Heartiest  congratulations.'  I  suppose  this 
means  that  the  President  has  sent  my  name  to  the 
Senate  for  the  Cabinet  position  of  Postmaster  General. 

"December  5.  —  Conger  of  the  Associated  Press 
informs  me  that  he  has  a  dispatch  saying  that  the 
President  sent  to  the  Senate  all  the  names  of  the 
members  —  the  new  members  —  of  his  Cabinet,  in 
cluding  myself,  and  that  of  Moody  for  the  Supreme 
Bench. 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  325 

"  December  11.  —  Meeting  of  the  Yukki  Club.  I 
was  reflected  President,  and  we  increased  the  mem 
bership  to  40. 

"Receive  a  very  nice  letter  from  the  President, 
in  which  he  thanks  me  for  interesting  letter  and  says 
I  know  Russia  so  well  now  that  when  I  enter  the 
Cabinet  (not  later  than  March  4)  he  will  no  longer 
have  to  give  it  a  thought.  It  is  most  satisfactory  writ 
ing  him;  he  is  so  appreciative.  With  the  State  De 
partment  you  get  a  three-line  acknowledgment,  with 
not  even  contents  noted." 

Before  leaving  Russia  Meyer,  in  his  capacity  of 
sportsman  rather  than  diplomat,  had  experiences  of 
elk-hunting  and  wolf-shooting,  in  company  with  Prince 
Youssoupoff,  of  which  the  diary  made  full  record. 
The  second,  and  more  elaborate  of  these  is  described 
in  a  letter  home. 

To  Mrs.  Meyer 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  December  28,  1Q06. 

.  .  .  We  had  a  most  interesting  trip  on  our  shooting 
expedition.  We  left  Petersburg  on  the  evening  of  the  19th, 
arriving  in  Moscow  the  next  morning.  Prince  Youssoupoff  and 
I  went  to  his  house,  a  wonderful  palace  built  in  the  time  of  John 
the  Terrible.  The  walls  are  about  four  feet  thick  and  the  rooms 
are  all  vaulted.  It  takes  up  an  entire  block,  with  a  garden  sur 
rounding  it.  You  enter  the  courtyard,  which  is  bounded  on 
three  sides  by  the  house  and  stable,  and  drive  under  an  arch 
where  the  formal  entrance  is,  by  an  outside  stairway  with 
stone  steps.  There  we  inspected  the  house  and  freshened  up 
our  toilets,  previously  to  proceeding  to  the  dog  show,  of  which 
he  is  President.  We  attended  the  formal  breakfast  in  the  expo- 


326  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

sition  hall,  and  I  saw  a  new  class  of  Russians,  made  up  of  only 
sportsmen,  who  are  always  good  fellows. 

In  the  afternoon  we  visited  the  antiquary  shops,  dined  at 
the  Metropole,  and  left  by  the  night  train  for  the  heart  of 
Russia,  the  Grand  Duchess  Serge  having  left  word,  as  she  was 
then  at  Tsarkoe  Selo,  that  on  our  return  we  were  to  lunch  or 
dine  with  her  in  the  Kremlin  Palace. 

The  Government  had  furnished  me  with  a  private  car  and 
Prince  Youssoupoff  had  his  also.  The  entire  party  consisted 
of  ten.  Prince  Youssoupoff,  Trepoff  (the  brother  of  the 
General  who  died  this  summer),  and  myself,  lived  together  in 
Youssoupoff's  car,  where  we  also  had  our  meals,  he  having  his 
chef  along  with  him ;  and  the  rest  of  the  party  were  domiciled 
in  my  car,  so-called. 

We  arrived  beyond  Briansk  in  the  afternoon  of  the  follow 
ing  day,  and  there  we  hunted  for  three  days  without  any  suc 
cess,  driving  through  the  most  magnificent  forests,  the  trees 
laden  with  snow  and  the  aspect  at  times  really  superb.  We 
were  so  warmly  clad  that  one  never  suffered  from  the  cold. 
Sometimes  we  lunched  in  a  peasant's  house  and  sometimes  in  the 
open  forest.  We  came  across  wolf  tracks  but  never  were  able 
to  surround  them,  and  finally  found  that  some  of  the  Govern 
ment  foresters  were  doing  what  they  could  to  hinder  our  suc 
cess,  on  account  of  enmity  to  Youssoupoff's  head  chasseur. 

On  the  fourth  day  we  visited  another  section  of  the  coun 
try  and  met  with  success,  killing  three  wolves  —  the  largest  and 
finest  specimen  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  shoot;  and  I  am 
having  the  same  sent  to  Moscow  to  be  stuffed  and  mounted. 

The  next  day  they  shot  two  more,  but  I  was  laid  up 
in  the  car  and  unable  to  leave.  I  thought  for  twenty-four  hours 
that  I  was  in  for  pneumonia.  The  cause,  I  think,  was  that,  the 
night  before,  the  Prince  had  given  a  ball  to  the  peasants;  the 
atmosphere  in  the  so-called  hall  was  something  fearful,  and  I 


1906}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  327 

think  I  inhaled  a  germ,  because  the  next  night  I  thought  I 
should  suffocate  and  burn  up,  and  it  seemed  difficult  to  breathe. 
For  the  first  time,  I  think,  in  my  life,  I  really  was  frightened 
for  a  few  hours.  It  is  an  awful  feeling  to  be  so  far  from  home 
and  so  far  from  civilization  when  taken  ill,  as  I  was  on  that 
occasion.  However,  Youssoupoff  was  one  of  the  nicest  of  men, 
and  all  those  with  him  were  most  sympathetic.  I  fortunately 
had  with  me  my  little  medicine  case  which  you  had  given  me 
and  which  contained  phenacetine  and  quinine.  .  .  .  and 
arrived  in  Petersburg  again  with  a  normal  temperature.  Of 
course  as  we  passed  through  Moscow  yesterday,  although  my 
temperature  was  then  back  to  almost  normal,  I  knew  it  would 
be  unsafe  to  go  out,  and  remained  in  the  car,  and  consequently 
was  unable  to  attend  a  lunch  at  the  Grand  Duchess  Serge's. 
...  I  forgot  to  say  that,  while  on  our  shooting  expedition, 
they  gave  me  a  very  pleasant  surprise,  which  quite  touched  me, 
in  the  way  of  a  little  Christmas  tree  decorated  for  Christmas 
Eve,  after  dinner.  It  was  very  well  done  and  reminded  me  of 
home  and  all  of  you  and  what  you  were  doing  at  that  same 
time.  .  .  . 

Meyer's  eagerness  to  return  to  America,  once  the 
conclusion  of  his  Russian  service  was  in  sight,  did  not 
blind  him  to  the  good  reasons  for  his  prolonged  term. 
On  January  7,  1907,  he  wrote  to  Mrs.  Meyer:  — 

I  think  it  would  interest  you  very  much  to  read  Theodore 
Roosevelt's  "  Gouverneur  Morris," —  you  will  find  it  in  my 
American  Statesmen  Series;  the  part  which  covers  his  visit  to 
France,  his  sojourn  in  Paris  as  Minister,  and  his  life  in  Paris 
afterwards,  considering  the  time  in  which  he  lived,  make  it  full 
of  interest.  Some  of  the  events  have  repeated  themselves  in 
Russia,  and  I  can  understand  how  anxious  the  President  was 
to  have  me  here  in  case  of  trouble,  when  one  recalls  how,  in  his 


328  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

book,  Morris  stayed  at  Paris  through  the  Reign  of  Terror  and 
Washburne  in  Paris  during  the  Commune.  The  press  had  filled 
the  minds  of  the  public  and  the  people  in  Washington  with  the 
idea  that  the  same  events  were  going  to  transpire  here,  and 
consequently  his  desire  to  have  me  on  hand. 

On  the  16th  he  wrote  again  to  his  wife:  — 

I  cannot  realize  that  I  am  really  getting  away.  Schoen, 
the  German  Ambassador,  is  to  notify  the  German  Emperor  that 
I  arrive  in  Berlin  the  first  of  February,  in  order  to  arrange  an 
audience  for  me.  Captain  Hintze,  the  German  Naval  Attache, 
and  Aide-de-Camp  of  His  Majesty,  told  me  he  was  sure  the 
Emperor  would  want  to  see  me,  as  he  always  spoke  so  friendly 
of  me. 

Day  before  yesterday  the  Diplomatic  Corps  were  received 
by  the  Emperor  and  the  two  Empresses,  the  whole  Diplomatic 
Corps  being  taken  down  in  a  special  Imperial  train  to  Tsarskoe 
Selo,  over  the  Emperor's  private  line.  At  the  station  a  special 
court  carriage  was  waiting  for  each  Ambassador,  and  we  drove 
in  single  state  to  the  palace,  the  rest  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps 
being  doubled  up.  We  all  ranged  up  in  the  oval  salon  in  a  circle* 
and  at  half-past  three  the  doors  were  thrown  open  and  the 
Emperor  entered,  with  the  Dowager  Empress  on  his  right  and 
the  Empress  on  his  left.  The  Empress  was  en  grande  beaute, 
and  I  would  not  have  known  her  as  the  same  person  as  a  year 
ago.  The  Emperor  talked  for  a  long  time  with  the  American 
Embassy  and  told  me  how  much  he  admired  the  President's 
forcible,  straightforward  way  of  expressing  himself  in  his  mes 
sages.1  With  the  Empress  I  had  quite  a  long  conversation, 

i  "  While  talking  with  the  Emperor,"  Meyer  wrote  in  nis  diary  for 
January  14,  *'  I  said  I  hoped  that  the  bright  sunshine  of  this  New  Year's 
Day  was  a  happy  omen  for  the  events  of  the  New  Year.  '  You  know/  he 
said,  '  I  believe  a  good  deal  in  these  signs,  especially  of  nature.'  This 
shows  somewhat  the  simplicity  of  his  character  and  disposition." 


1907]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  329 

joking  and  laughing.  When  one  considers  the  different  state 
of  affairs  existing  here  from  a  year  ago,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  she  should  appear  like  a  different  woman.  Then  revolution 
was  rampant  and  the  disruption  of  the  Empire  openly  talked 
of.  Conditions  are  not  perfect  yet,  and  the  terrorists  are 
singling  out  special  individuals,  but  conditions  as  a  whole  have 
improved. 

"  Not  perfect  yet "  seems  mildly  to  describe  Rus 
sian  conditions  as  reported  by  Meyer  in  a  letter  to 
Senator  Lodge  a  few  days  before  those  words  were 
written:  "  For  the  last  few  weeks  there  have  been  as 
sassinations  by  the  terrorists  every  six  days,  and  there 
is  curiosity,  as  well  as  anxiety,  among  the  Russians, 
to  know  who  will  be  the  next.  Between  February, 
1900,  and  November,  1906,  the  terrorists  have  killed 
or  injured  by  bombs,  revolver,  or  assault,  1,937  officials 
and  important  persons,  including  one  Grand  Duke; 
67  Governors  General,  Governors,  and  town  prefects; 
985  police  officers  and  policemen;  500  army  officers  and 
soldiers;  214  civil  functionaries;  117  manufacturers; 
and  53  clergymen." 

The  full  record  of  Meyer's  last  days  in  St.  Peters 
burg  would  disclose  an  extraordinary  round  of  fare 
wells.  It  need  not  be  followed  in  detail.  A  statement 
of  his  plans  and  engagements  in  a  letter  to  Mrs. 
Meyer,  written  January  19,  will  suffice  to  indicate 
what  occurred. 

To  Mrs.  Meyer 

January  19,  1907. 

I  shall  try  and  sail  on  the  16th  or  17th  of  February. 
The  Department  having  sent  my  letters  of  recall  so  late  gives 


330  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  U™ 

me  very  little  time  to  turn  round  in.  They  should  arrive  next 
week,  Wednesday  or  Thursday,  23rd  or  24th.  Nothing  can 
be  done  about  my  final  audience  with  the  Emperor  until  they 
have  actually  come  to  hand,  and  I  am  to  notify  Iswolsky  imme 
diately  on  their  arrival.  The  Ceremonies  know  the  whole  story, 
and  they  are  to  have  their  letters  all  ready  to  send  out  to  the 
necessary  officials  at  a  moment's  notice.  I  shall  probably 
arrive  in  Berlin  February  first,  and  in  that  case  shall  go  to 
Tower's  fancy-dress  ball  that  evening.  There  is  a  ball  at  the 
palace  the  night  before,  which  I  have  no  desire  to  attend,  as  I 
would  much  prefer  to  have  my  audience  privately  with  the  Em 
peror  of  Germany,  if  it  can  be  so  arranged. 

Night  before  last  was  the  Vapahofsky  dinner-dance,  which 
was  a  great  success.  The  Bohemian  band  from  Ernest's  played 
divinely.  Last  night  the  Huenes  gave  me  a  farewell  dinner. 
To-night  the  Princess  Youssoupoff.  Sunday  night  a  party  at 
the  ballet.  Monday  night  the  members  of  the  Austrian  Em 
bassy  give  me  a  dinner  at  Ernest's,  and  my  Russian  friends 
give  me  a  dance  and  supper  afterwards  at  the  same  place. 
Tuesday  night  Baroness  Ramsay  gives  a  dinner.  Thursday 
night  the  German  official  reception.  Also  a  lunch  in  my  honour 
by  the  Japanese  Legation.  Friday  night  dinner  at  the  Fiirsten- 
bergs.  Saturday  night  at  the  British  Embassy.  Sunday 
Countess  Bobrinskoy  has  a  domino  party.  To-morrow  we  all 
hope  to  go  out  to  Yukki  for  Sunday. 

Though  not  literally  fulfilled,  these  were  the  chief 
items  in  Meyer's  private  programme.  There  were,  be 
sides,  his  final  audience  with  the  Tsar  and  an  inter 
view  with  Iswolsky,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  of 
which  the  journal  makes  record  as  follows:  — 

ff  January  26.  —  Leave  the  Hotel  at  1 .20,  in  order 
to  take  the  train  at  1.50  for  Tsarskoe  Selo.  At  the 


1907}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  331 

station  (Imperial)  in  Petersburg,  Prince  Dolgorouki, 
Baron  Korff,  Baron  Ramsay  and  his  assistant  were 
waiting  at  the  station  to  receive  me.  We  entered  a 
special  Imperial  train,  and  were  taken  over  the  Em 
peror's  private  line  direct  to  Tsarskoe  Selo.  At  the 
station,  a  gilded  coach  with  four  chestnut  horses,  an 
outrider,  and  two  footmen  on  behind  were  waiting  for 
me.  We  started  without  any  delay,  and  I  noticed  that 
a  mounted  guard  rode  on  each  side  of  the  coach;  this 
was  for  style  on  this  occasion  and  not  for  safety. 

"At  the  Little  Palace  (the  same  one  where  I  was 
first  received  by  His  Majesty,  and  also  on  a  memora 
ble  occasion  when  I  entered  privately  by  his  own 
entrance  direct  to  his  study  in  order  to  give  him  con 
fidentially  the  President's  invitation  to  send  Plenipo 
tentiaries  to  Washington  for  a  peace  conference  with 
Japan)  masters  of  ceremonies  had  assembled,  and 
again,  as  on  the  first  occasion,  we  marched  in  formal 
procession  to  the  Emperor's  apartment.  In  the  ante 
room  Princess  Galitzine  and  Count  Benckendorff *  re 
ceived  me,  and  after  a  short  salutation  the  two  black 
servants  in  Oriental  costume  threw  open  the  doors, 
and  for  the  last  time  I  was  in  the  presence  of  the  Em 
peror  and  Empress. 

"  I  bowed  in  the  doorway  and  again  after  I  had 
approached  halfway.  The  Emperor  put  out  his  hand 
and  then  the  Empress.  In  the  latter  case  I  kissed 
hers,  according  to  the  custom.  The  Emperor  and  Em 
press  then  sat  down  and  the  Emperor  signified  for  me 
to  sit  on  the  Empress's  right.  Before  we  sat  down, 

i  Marshal  of  the  Imperial  Court. 


332  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V90? 

however,  I  had  handed  my  letter  of  recall  to  His 
Majesty  and  informed  him  that  the  President  had  seen 
fit  to  recall  me  to  Washington  in  order  to  enter  his 
Cabinet.  He  asked  me  about  my  new  post,  and  said 
that  he  was  sorry  to  have  me  leave,  but  was  glad  to 
feel  that  there  would  be  in  the  President's  Cabinet  not 
only  a  friend,  but  one  who  understood  Russia  and  how 
difficult  the  problems  were  to  solve.  He  thought  that 
in  the  United  States  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
would  one  day  be,  as  in  Russia,  one  of  the  most  im 
portant  Cabinet  positions.  He  seemed  much  interested 
in  the  future  decision  of  our  Courts  as  to  the  right 
of  the  State  of  California  to  make  its  own  school 
regulation,  and  thought  the  decision  would  be  far- 
reaching.  He  also  spoke  of  the  elections  in  Germany 
and  of  their  importance.  A  decided  victory  by  the 
Socialists  would  encourage  the  Socialists  everywhere. 
I  remarked  what  a  part  the  German  Socialist  had 
taken  in  the  first  great  strikes  in  this  country  more 
than  a  year  ago. 

"  We  talked  for  half  an  hour  on  various  subjects, 
in  which  the  Empress  joined,  and  asked  about  the 
height  of  our  buildings  in  New  York.  They  seemed 
incomprehensible  and  unnatural  to  her.  In  taking 
leave  the  Emperor  asked  to  be  remembered  to  the 
President,  and  the  Empress  to  my  wife.  They  both 
expressed  the  hope  of  seeing  us  again  and  our  return 
some  day  to  Russia. 

"January  27.  —  On  my  return  from  Tsarskoe 
Selo  yesterday  afternoon  I  found  a  letter  from 
Iswolsky  and  a  box.  The  latter  was  addressed  to 


1907}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  333 

*  G.  von  Lengerke  Meyer,  Esqr.,'  and  said  that  the 
Emperor  had  conferred  the  Grand  Cordon  of  St. 
Alexander  Nevsky  upon  me.  As  I  was  now  a  simple 
citizen,  I  was  able  to  accept  it,  and  wore  the  decora 
tion  that  Saturday  evening,  but  not  the  Grand  Cor 
don,  to  the  dinner  at  the  Embassy,  as  it  would  have 
been  too  gala  to  have  put  on  the  ribbon  too.  I  found 
Benckendorff,  the  Russian  Ambassador  to  London, 
had  done  the  same  way.  .  .  . 

"  Sunday,  by  appointment,  I  called  on  Iswolsky 
at  the  Foreign  Office  to  express  my  appreciation  of 
the  honour  conferred  upon  me.  I  found  him  most 
frank  and  interesting  about  the  situation  in  Russia. 
Speaking  of  the  Emperor  and  Empress,  he  said, 
4  They  are  over-sanguine ;  I  am  continually  trying  to 
combat  the  influence  of  the  Empress  and  the  Grand 
Duchess  Serge.  They  do  not  appreciate  the  actual 
conditions  or  understand  them.  They  do  not  believe 
in  further  concessions,  nor  do  they  realize  that  this 
liberal  movement  for  Constitutional  Government  is 
very  far-reaching  and  must  be  recognized.  I  know 
and  understand  that  we  cannot  go  backwards. 

" c  As  you  know,  I  am  liberal,  but  they  say  in 
the  Cabinet  to  me,  "  You  have  lived  so  much  abroad 
that  you  have  got  permeated  with  foreign  ideas  and 
therefore  cannot  see  and  understand  the  Russian  situa 
tion."  I  feel  that  our  troubles  are  far  from  being 
over;  the  new  Duma  may  be  an  improvement  over  the 
first,  but  it  will  be  radical,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether 
the  Government  will  be  able  to  work  in  conjunction 
with  it. 


334  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

'  Now  as  to  our  negotiations  with  Japan,  as  you 
are  no  longer  Ambassador  I  am  going  to  be  very 
frank  with  you  and  tell  you  what  I  would  probably 
not  say  to  you  if  you  were  still  in  your  official  capacity. 
But  I  should  like  you  to  consider  it  confidential  and 
only  to  be  repeated  to  the  President.  Throughout  the 
entire  negotiations  the  Japanese  have  been  most  exact 
ing,  and  I  find  myself  in  a  very  embarrassing  situa 
tion  and  almost  helpless,  as  our  army  has  practically 
evacuated  Manchuria,  which  is  not  the  case  with 
Japan.  We  are  ready  to  carry  out  our  agreements  at 
Portsmouth;  nor  have  we  any  desire  now  for  aggres 
sions  of  countries  in  the  East;  but  our  aim  is  to  have 
conditions  in  statu  quo,  so  that  the  balance  of  power 
shall  remain  unaffected. 

e  Our  two  principal  contentions  with  Japan  are 
the  fishing  rights,  which  they  claim  beyond  what  could 
naturally  be  expected,  and  the  claiming  of  open  navi 
gation  on  the  Sungari  River,  which  was  not  raised  at 
Portsmouth.' 

"  He  realized  that  Japan,  claiming  open  naviga 
tion,  was  apparently  taking  a  position  that  was  popu 
lar,  but  that  Russia  could  not  grant  she  had  the  right 
to  this  on  account  of  the  Portsmouth  Treaty.  Now 
then  Japan  was  demanding  that  Russia  should  concede 
the  privilege  to  Japan  of  making  special  commercial 
treaties  with  Korea  and  countries  beyond  the  Malay 
Straits,  which  should  not  apply  to  the  most  favoured 
nation  clause  of  treaties  with  other  nations,  this  not  to 
become  effective  until  treaties  with  other  nations  ex 
pired  and  this  principle  [should  be]  accepted  by  them. 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  335 

"  *  Now,'  he  went  on,  '  I  have  in  my  position  got 
to  make  the  best  bargain  that  I  can,  and  I  am  going 
to  give  in  on  this  point  and,  although  it  is  not  effec 
tive  until  agreed  to  by  the  other  nations,  yet  it  is  the 
small  end  of  the  wedge,  and  it  shows  the  world  that 
Japan  proposes  to  reserve  for  herself  a  portion  of 
the  Eastern  trade;  and  where,  then,  will  be  the  Open 
Door  of  which  so  much  has  been  said  by  Japan? 

*  I  have  seen  about  the  school  question  raised  by 
Japan  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  the  change  of  feeling 
there  Rosen  has  reported  to  me  fully.  I  would  now 
like  to  have  you  report  to  the  President  not  only  the 
position  in  which  Russia  finds  herself  in  these  pour 
parlers  with  Japan,  but  also  the  evident  intention  of 
Japan  to  reserve  for  herself  in  trade  and  commerce 
certain  sections  of  the  East,  that  is,  the  portion  beyond 
the  Malay  Straits.'" 

On  Tuesday,  the  29th,  having  made  his  official  fare 
well  to  the  Dowager  Empress  and  Grand  Duke 
Michel,  and  having  dined  with  the  Grand  Duke  and 
Duchess  Vladimir  on  the  28th,  Meyer  took  his  depar 
ture  from  Russia.  "Left  at  noon  for  Berlin,"  he 
wrote  in  his  diary;  "the  Diplomatic  Corps  and  a  host 
of  my  Russian  friends  who  presented  me  at  the  station 
with  a  beautiful  coq  de  bruyere  carved  from  malachite, 
and  on  a  paper  the  names  of  the  donors  (38).1  I 

i  The  list  of  the  donors  accompanied  this  gift,  The  names  it  contains 
are  given  here  for  their  suggestion  of  Mr.  Meyer's  personal  friendships 
in  Russia  :  Prince  and  Princess  S.  Belosselsky,  Prince  and  Princess  Orloff, 
Prince  and  Princess  Youssoupoff,  Prince  aiid  Princess  M  Cantacuzene, 
Comte  and  Comtesse  Fersen,  E  Orloff,  S,  Orloff,  M.  Schevitch,  Princess 
Mestchersky,  Prince  P.  Mestchersky,  V.  Annenkoff,  M.  Annenkoff,  S.  Hall, 
A.  Hall,  Princess  V.  Galitzine,  Comte  and  Comtesse  Mengden,  Comte  and 


336  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

leave  devoted  and  charming  friends  with  fee.lings  of 
strong  attachment  and  with  regret." 

Before  taking  ship  from  England  to  America,  on 
February  20,  three  weeks  and  a  day  later,  Meyer  had 
seen  and  talked  with  the  German  Emperor,  the  King 
of  Italy,  and  the  King  of  England.  These  interviews, 
following  his  audience  with  the  Tsar  on  the  Saturday 
before  his  leaving  St.  Petersburg,  provided  what  may 
well  be  the  unique  experience  of  personal  meetings 
with  the  four  leading  monarchs  of  Europe,  each  in  his 
own  capital,  within  the  space  of  three  weeks  and  three 
days.  It  was  the  part  of  the  helpful  ambassador  to 
return  to  his  country  as  well  informed  as  he  possibly 
could  be,  from  the  most  authentic  source  of  informa 
tion,  regarding  European  affairs.  This  is  what  Meyer 
accomplished  in  his  last  month  in  Europe.  In  Berlin, 
Rome,  and  London  —  especially  in  Rome  —  he  re 
newed  many  personal  friendships.  The  record  of  these 
experiences  in  his  diary,  however,  must  give  place  to 
his  accounts  of  the  interviews  with  Kaiser  Wilhelm, 
King  Victor  Emanuel  III,  and  King  Edward  VII. 
As  in  St.  Petersburg  his  interview  with  the  Tsar  had 
been  followed  by  a  talk  with  Iswolsky,  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs,  so  in  London,  it  should  be  noticed,  he 
talked  with  Sir  Edward  Grey,  Secretary  for  Foreign 
Affairs,  before  his  audience  with  the  King. 

"  [Berlin]  February  3.  —  Lunch  with  the  Em 
peror  and  Empress  at  the  Palace  in  Berlin  at 

Comtesse  G.  Bobrinskoy,  Baron  and  Baronne  Hue'ne,  Comtesse  S. 
Woroutzoff,  A  Balacheff,  Comte  and  Comtesse  T.  Nieroth,  C.  Warpak- 
hovsky,  Prince  S.  Dolgorouky,  Baron  and  Baronne  Ramsay,  O.  Se"r£- 
briakoff,  M.  Se"re"briakoff,  D.  de  Benckendorff,  A.  Nicolaeff. 


THE     MALACHITE     COQ     I)E     BRUYERE     PRESENTED     TO 
MR.     MEYER     BY     RUSSIAN     FRIENDS 


19071  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  337 

1  o'clock.  Arrive  at  ten  minutes  before  1.  The 
guests  were  assembled  in  one  of  the  ante-rooms;  sev 
eral  of  them  I  had  met  before,  the  Hatzfeldts,  Eulen- 
burg,  Flotow,  also  the  ladies-in-waiting.  Prince  Adal 
bert  came  in  before  1,  and  while  we  were  talking,  as 
my  back  was  to  the  door,  he  suddenly  said,  *  The 
Emperor.'  I  turned  round  and  His  Majesty  was  just 
entering  the  door.  He  shook  hands  with  me  as  he 
passed  and  went  on  to  greet  the  ladies.  Then  the  Em 
press  entered  by  another  door.  She  went  round  the 
room,  saying  a  few  words  with  each  person,  and  the 
gentlemen  kissing  her  hand.  When  lunch  was  an 
nounced  the  ladies  went  in  first,  the  Emperor,  the 
Princes,  and  the  rest  of  us  following. 

"  I  found  my  seat  was  next  to  the  Princess  Alex 
andra  Victoria  of  Holstein,  engaged  to  the  fourth  son 
[August  William],  Oscar,  who  was  on  the  other  side, 
being  on  the  left  of  the  Empress,  Adalbert  being  on 
the  right.  On  the  right  of  the  Emperor  were  Princess 
Hatzfeldt,  and  on  the  left  Princess  Oetingen.  There 
were  twenty-four  people  at  lunch,  including  the  sixth 
son1  of  the  Emperor  and  the  young  daughter,2  who 
must  be  about  fourteen  now,  grown  quite  tall. 

"  Lunch  being  finished,  the  Empress  led  the  way 
to  one  salon  while  the  Emperor  indicated  that  the  men 
were  to  follow  him  to  his  smoking-room.  I  noticed 
that  the  young  Princes  went  with  the  Empress. 
After  we  entered  the  smoking-room  I  stayed  near  the 
door  as  I  did  not  want  to  be  the  first  to  talk  with 

1  Prince  Joachim. 

2  Princess  Victoria-Louise.  » 


338  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

His  Majesty,  but  preferred  to  be  the  last.  He  looked 
round  the  room  and  immediately  beckoned  me  to  come 
forward,  saying,  '  You  always  used  to  smoke,'  and  then 
offered  me  a  cigar.  I  then  took  the  opportunity  to 
congratulate  him  on  the  result  of  the  elections.  His 
eyes  became  very  bright,  and  tapping  me  on  the 
chest  he  said,  '  We  caught  the  Socialists  this  time. 
It  became  not  only  the  question  of  a  Colonial  policy 
but  a  patriotic  one,  and  they  did  not  take  this  into 
account.  This  morning  I  received  telegraphic  infor 
mation  that  the  Socialists  have  lost  four  more  on  the 
second  elections.' 

"  I  then  informed  the  Emperor  that  I  had  my 
farewell  audience  with  the  Emperor  of  Russia  a  week 
ago  yesterday  and  I  had  spoken  of  the  elections  in 
Germany  which  were  taking  place,  and  that  I  hoped 
the  Socialists  would  receive  a  set-back  as  their  success 
would  encourage  the  revolutionary  element  in  Russia. 

"  The  Emperor  asked  me  my  opinion  of  Iswolsky, 
saying,  '  Can  he  be  trusted  ? '  I  answered  that  I  did 
not  know  him  as  well  as  I  had  known  Lamsdorff,  but 
that  my  relations  had  been  very  agreeable  and  satis 
factory;  that  Schoen,1  his  Ambassador,  was  quite  inti 
mate  with  him  and  should  be  able  to  judge.  I  men 
tioned  that  I  had  been  impressed  by  Russia's  clever 
move  in  ordering  the  withdrawal  of  Russian  troops 
ahead  of  the  Japanese,  but  that  I  thought  in  that 
action  I  saw  the  influence  of  some  one  outside  of  Rus 
sia.  The  Emperor  smiled  and  said,  — 

"  *  The  Tsar  did  ask  my  advice,  and  I  thought  it 

a  Baron  Schoen,  afterward  German  Ambassador  to  France   (1910-14) 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  339 

very  important  for  Russia  to  keep  China,  her  neigh 
bour,  good-natured  and  not  allowed  to  become  too 
friendly  with  Japan.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Russia  will 
lose  Siberia,  and  the  Tsar  agrees  with  me.  The 
Japanese  are  so  much  more  active  that  they  will  over 
run  it  with  colonists  and  traders  and  commercially 
own  it. 

"  '  You  are  certain  eventually  to  have  a  war  with 
Japan;  they  will  attack  you  through  the  Philippines 
by  sea,  and  Europe  by  land  through  Siberia,  etc. 
Russia  was  attacked  by  the  Japanese  just  as  she  had 
completed  the  Siberian  Railroad  and  you,  the  United 
States,  will  be  attacked  as  you  are  about  to  complete 
the  Canal.  You  should  have  fortified  Hawaii,  and 
must  get  your  fleet  on  the  Pacific  side.  The  Japanese 
have  spies  everywhere,  disguised  as  servants,  etc.,  they 
know  all  about  your  fleet  and  fortifications.  I  have 
furnished  through  Speck  *  statistics  about  the  Japanese 
for  your  President.  The  school  question  in  California 
is  only  an  excuse.  You  see  how  they  feel  on  your 
Pacific  slope;  it  is  a  racial  question.' 

'  Then  the  Emperor  suddenly  changed  the  topic, 
saying,  *  You  know  that  the  King  and  Queen  of  Eng 
land  have  gone  quite  unexpectedly  to  Paris.  Clemen- 
ceau's  Cabinet  is  not  as  strong  as  it  was;  the  King 
bought  him  and  owns  him,  and  he  had  gone  on  to 
Paris  to  hold  him  up  and  strengthen  him.  Iswolsky 
was  invited  on  to  London  during  his  trip  this  autumn, 
but  the  Emperor  instructed  him  not  to  accept.  Eng 
land  does  not  like  to  see  Germany  increasing  good 

i  Baron  Speck  von  Sternburg,  German  Ambassador  in  Washington. 


340  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

feeling  with  France  and  the  tendencies  which  are 
bringing  Germany  and  Russia  together.  They  should 
really  have  an  alliance. 

'  England  made  an  alliance  with  Japan  which 
will  prove  to  her  final  disadvantage;  dissatisfaction  is 
already  showing  commercially.  If  her  treaty  with 
Japan  should  compel  her  to  fight  with  Japan  for  in 
stance  against  you,  you  would  lose  almost  at  once  the 
Philippines,  but  in  revenge  you  would  take  Canada. 
The  natural  people  to  come  together  in  such  a  conflict 
would  be  the  Germans  and  Americans. 

" '  It  is  not  time  to  consider  disarmament;  if  that 
is  to  be  forced  at  The  Hague,  I  will  not  send  repre 
sentatives.  Stead,  of  the  Review  of  Reviews,  is  trying 
to  force  it  before  the  Conference  and  asked  for  an 
audience,  but  I  have  refused  it.  When  I  saw  the  King 
of  England  last  summer,  it  was  arranged  beforehand 
what  we  were  to  discuss.  Lascelles 1  and  Hardinge 
were  present.  Unexpectedly  the  King  talked  of  The 
Hague  Conference  and  said,  "  We  do  not  want  it, 
there  is  no  need  of  it,  it  interferes  with  our  royal 
prerogatives."  You  should  have  seen  the  expression 
on  Hardinge's  face.  Evidently  the  King  and  the 
Cabinet  are  out  of  accord  on  The  Hague  questions,  as 
Grey  wishes  disarmament  discussed.' 

4  The  Emperor  referred  to  the  conscript  system 
which  began  in  Prussia  when  Germany  was  overrun 
by  Napoleon  and  has  existed  and  been  perfected  since 
that  time.  Other  countries  are  now  copying  but  have 

iSir  Frank  Cavendish  Lascelles,  British  Ambassador  to  Germany, 
1895-1908. 


1907]  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  341 

not  made  the  same  success  of  it.  ...  He  then  asked 
what  steamer  I  was  going  on.  When  I  said  Kaiserin 
Augusta  Victoria,  'Oh!  She  is  a  wonderfully  fine 
boat.  I  will  send  you  a  letter  for  the  President  if  I 
can  get  it  finished  in  time.  Now  we  had  better  join 
the  ladies.' 

'  The  entire  time  had  been  taken  up  talking  to 
gether;  I  am  afraid  that  some  of  the  other  gentlemen 
were  not  very  pleased,  not  getting  a  chance  to  say  a 
word  to  him.  We  were  only  a  moment  with  the  ladies. 
As  I  left  he  said,  '  Do  not  forget  my  regards  to  your 
wife  and  the  young  ladies,  and  if  you  are  starting  for 
Rome  take  food  and  a  pistol  in  case  the  train  is  blocked 
by  the  snow  and  you  are  attacked.' ' 

"  [Rome]  February  7.  —  Had  my  audience  with 
the  King  of  Italy  in  Rome  at  2.15  to-day.  Arrived 
at  the  palace  at  2.10,  but  I  was  not  kept  waiting  a 
minute.  The  doors  were  instantly  thrown  open  and 
the  King  came  forward  to  the  door  and  shook  hands 
very  cordially.  He  sat  down  on  the  sofa  and  beck 
oned  me  to  sit  down.  I  took  the  second  chair,  but  he 
insisted  on  my  sitting  in  the  arm-chair  next  to  him. 
He  at  once  spoke  of  my  going  into  the  Cabinet  and 
added,  '  I  understand  that  it  [the  Postmaster  General 
ship]  has  more  political  influence  than  any  other 
Cabinet  office.'  I  thanked  him  for  his  congratulations 
and  assured  him  that  I  believed  it  should  be  run  on 
business  principles  in  order  to  give  the  best  serv 
ice.  .  .  . 

"  He  wanted  to  know  if  I  had  met  his  two  sisters- 


342  GEORGE  YON  L.  MEYER 

in-law1  and  added  that  they  used  to  be  very  hand 
some.  He  was  much  interested  in  the  Russian  situa 
tion,  but  did  not  hesitate  to  express  his  opinion  of  the 
Emperor,  which  is  not  of  the  highest.  He  has  not  for 
given  the  Tsar  for  breaking  his  promise  and  not  visit 
ing  him.  Again  he  told  me  how  he  promised  Nelidow  2 
that  when  in  public  he  would  never  leave  the  Tsar's 
side  in  order  to  protect  him  by  his  presence.  Nelidow 
wanted  the  papers  suppressed,  as  was  done  in  Peters 
burg.  This,  the  King  said,  could  not  be  done,  as  his 
was  a  constitutional  monarchy  and  anything  of  that 
sort  must  proceed  in  the  regular  way  through  the 
courts. 

"  When  I  told  the  King  of  my  two-hour  talk  with 
the  Emperor  he  said,  '  I  saw  considerable  of  him  when 
in  Russia,  and  it  was  often  his  habit  after  a  person 
had  left  him  to  snap  his  fingers  and  even  make  fun 
of  what  had  transpired.'  He  also  criticized  his  having 
been  influenced  by  that  spiritualist  Phillipe.3  Fortu 
nately  he  was  dead,  as  his  influence  was  very  detri 
mental  to  the  best  interests  of  the  country.  '  He  (the 
Tsar)  shuts  himself  up  from  fear,  and  how  can  he 
form  any  real  judgment  when  he  comes  in  contact 
with  no  men  of  affairs  or  liberal  spirit? ' 

"  He  agreed  with  me  that  affairs  could  not  go  back 
wards,  and  said,  *  In  '48  we  had  troubles  and  granted 
a  constitution,  but  our  people  were  more  enlightened 

iThe  sisters  of  Queen  Helena,  Melitza  and  Anastasie,  princesses  of 
Montenegro,  the  wives,  respectively,  of  the  Grand  Duke  Peter-Nikolaie"- 
vitch,  and  George,  Duke  of  Leuchtenberg. 

2  Russian  Ambassador  to  Italy,  1897-1903. 

s  A  French  spiritualist,  who  preceded  Rasputin  in  the  favor  of  the 
imperial  family. 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  343 

and  knew  what  they  wanted.'  I  referred  to  the  small 
amount  spent  by  Russians  for  public  education.  The 
King  replied,  *  We  spend  in  proportion  a  great  deal 
more  than  Russia.' 

"  On  the  question  of  disarmament  he  thought  Ger 
many  would  make  a  mistake  to  oppose  the  considera 
tion  of  it  at  The  Hague,  but  would  be  wiser  to  get 
France  or  some  other  country  to  take  that  attitude,  as 
the  German  Emperor  was  already  suspected  of  being 
warlike  and  so  disposed. 

"  The  King  then  asked  me  if  it  was  true  that  I 
was  taking  an  autograph  from  the  Kaiser  to  the 
President.  I  said  that  I  had  not  received  it  as  yet, 
but  the  Emperor,  if  he  had  the  time  to  finish  it,  was 
going  to  send  it  to  the  German  steamer,  Kaiserin 
Augusta  Victoria,  for  the  Captain  to  hand  me.  I 
should  take  the  boat  at  Cherbourg  or  Southampton 
the  17th.1 

"  I  then  told  the  Bang  that  I  had  felt  I  could  not 
go  home  without  coming  down  to  Italy  to  take  leave 
of  my  friends,  that  I  had  a  tremendous  attachment  for 
Rome  and  the  Campagna,  and  for  me  Rome  was  the 
most  beautiful  city  in  the  world.  He  smiled  with  a 
certain  expression  that  is  peculiar  to  him  when  he  is 
pleased.  The  King  was  very  amusing  about  the  Par 
liament  and  the  new  constitutional  government  in 
Montenegro;  said  the  Cabinet  had  fallen  on  an  ap 
propriation  of  $62.50.  At  the  end  of  half  an  hour, 
and  after  a  most  agreeable  conversation,  he  excused 
himself  as  he  had  another  appointment,  and  then 

i  Mr.  Meyer  sailed  several  days  later,  on  another  ship. 


344  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

wished  me  every  success  in  my  new  position  at  home 
in  the  Cabinet." 

"  [  London]  February  15.  —  Called  at  11  A.M.  at 
the  Foreign  Office,  Downing  Street,  on  Sir  Charles 
Hardinge,  now  permanent  Under-Secretary  of  Foreign 
Affairs,  formerly  my  colleague  at  St.  Petersburg.  He 
was  not  down  yet  —  his  secretary  said  that  he  would  be 
in  a  little  before  12 ;  not  very  early  hours,  —  if  I  should 
attempt  to  keep  such  hours  in  Washington,  it  would 
not  be  appreciated.  Return  at  12  and  am  received 
almost  instantly.  Found  Hardinge  looking  very  well 
and  most  cordial.  I  told  him  what  Stead  had  said  in 
Berlin  and  in  what  an  emphatic  way  he  was  quoting 
Sir  Edward  Grey.  Whereupon  Hardinge  asked  if  I 
would  like  to  meet  Sir  Edward  and  talk  with  him 
myself.  He  went  upstairs  and  in  two  minutes  re 
turned,  escorting  me  himself  to  the  Minister  of  For 
eign  Affairs  and  introducing  me. 

"  Grey  did  not  look  over  40,  although  I  believe  he 
is  about  45,  clean-shaven,  clean-cut  face  with  a  very 
straightforward  manner  and  an  attractive  personality. 
I  told  him  that  I  had  not  wanted  to  quote  his  words 
to  the  President  about  disarmament,  coming  as  they 
did  at  Berlin  through  Stead,  without  being  sure  (from 
him  direct)  that  they  were  absolutely  correct  and  not 
exaggerated,  and  knowing  as  I  did  that  the  Emperor 
of  Germany  was  opposed  to  the  subject  being  brought 
up  at  this  time  in  the  Hague  Conference. 

"  Grey  said  that  in  the  first  place  he  did  not  like 
the  expression  'disarmament,'  but  rather  'limitation 


1907}  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  345 

of  expenditure  for  armament.'  He  did  not  expect 
anything  practical  to  be  accomplished  in  that  respect 
at  the  Hague  Conference  more  than  publicity  and  edu 
cation  of  public  sentiment.  In  England  the  matter 
had  received  considerable  attention,  and  it  was  there 
fore  important  that  the  movement  should  be  taken 
into  account  and  receive  some  sort  of  recognition.  If 
the  Hague  Conference  neglected  even  to  consider  the 
question,  the  impression  would  go  out  in  the  world, 
that  the  hands  of  the  clock  had  been  set  back  and  no 
earnest  endeavour  had  been  made.  Consequently  he 
did  not  think  any  one  nation  should  hold  back  the  Con 
ference  from  considering  the  question. 

"  Of  course  if  Germany  should  refuse  to  send  dele 
gates,  provided  the  question  was  to  be  considered, 
it  would  lose  its  principal  object;  for  while  they  rec 
ognized  Germany's  right  to  build  as  large  a  navy  as 
their  commerce  required,  at  the  same  time  they  were 
stronger  considerably  than  the  German  navy,  and  they 
intended  to  continue  to  be  so.  That  was  a  policy  which 
either  party  recognized  as  necessary,  for  they  had  a 
small  army  and  Germany  a  very  big  one,  magnifi 
cently  organized.  If  Germany  also  got  a  larger  or 
even  equally  powerful  navy,  they  [Great  Britain] 
would  be,  in  their  isolated  position,  accessible  by  sea, 
at  the  mercy  of  Germany  provided  any  adverse  wave 
of  sentiment  or  incident  should  bring  on  a  war.  Thus 
this  continual  striving  of  Germany  to  increase  her 
navy,  and  England's  necessity  to  continually  keep  her 
navy  stronger,  must  have  its  effect  on  the  other  na 
tions'  expenditure.  If  Germany  would  agree  to  limit 


346  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

her  expenditures  to  what  they  had  been,  England 
would  agree  to  keep  hers  to  a  limit,  so  that  the  pro 
portion  would  not  change  and  each  would  keep  to  the 
present  ratio  of  force. 

"  I  told  Grey  that  in  my  hour's  conversation  with 
the  German  Emperor  [he  never?]  showed  any  suspi 
cion  of  England  on  account  of  urging  disarmament, 
but  was  [alive?]  to  a  genuine  feeling  of  uneasiness 
of  a  future  yellow  peril  by  the  ascendancy  of  the 
Japanese  and  a  possible  coalition  with  the  Chinese. 
Consequently  he  did  not  think  the  present  the  time  to 
discuss  disarmament. 

"  On  leaving  he  asked  to  give  his  compliments  to 
the  President  and  to  be  remembered  to  Mr.  Root.  On 
returning  to  Hardinge  we  chatted  together  about 
Russian  affairs,  and  we  both  agreed  that  Russia 
by  her  game  of  bluff  on  Eastern  matters  could  only 
blame  herself  for  England  finally  making  an  alliance 
with  Japan. .  Hardinge  then  called  my  attention  to 
how  much  better  England  had  kept  herself  informed 
in  the  past  as  to  Japan;  in  fact  in  '93,  when  matters 
became  strained,  their  naval  experts  said  to  fix  it  up, 
as  they  were  in  no  position,  so  far  from  their  base  of 
supplies,  to  contend  against  the  Japanese  navy,  and 
matters  were  therefore  arranged.  If  Russia  had  been 
as  well  informed  she  would  not  have  allowed  the  war 
to  take  place.  Hardinge  agreed  that  Japan  will  be 
a  much  more  dangerous  competitor  commercially  than 
even  Russia  would  have  been  in  the  East,  and  that  it 
was  already  beginning  to  be  felt. 

ff  February  19.  —  Go    to    Dorchester    House    at 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  847 

11.30  in  order  to  go  to  the  Levee  with  Carter1  and 
the  Military  Attache ;  the  Ambassador 2  being  in  his 
room  with  influenza.  We  drove  at  once  in  the  Am 
bassador's  carriage  to  St.  James's  Palace,  where  in  the 
ante-room  were  assembled  the  Diplomatic  Corps  and 
the  members  of  the  Government  attending  the  Levee. 
(St.  James's  Palace  has  not  been  used  as  a  dwelling 
since  the  Georges.)  I  found  a  number  of  the  Diplo 
matic  Corps  were  old  acquaintances,  Sir  Edward  Grey 
was  there,  Lord  Lansdowne,  Sir  Charles  Hardinge, 
etc.  —  with  each  of  them  I  had  a  short  chat.  Carter 
presented  me  to  Monsieur  Cambon,3  who  as  Doyen 
was  to  present  me  to  the  King  in  the  absence  of  the 
American  Ambassador.  I  spoke  of  how  much  his 
brother  had  been  liked  in  Washington  and  congratu 
lated  him  on  his  brother's  advance  to  Berlin.  M.  Cam 
bon,  being  the  Doyen,  led  the  procession  and  I  fol 
lowed,  by  his  instructions,  directly  behind  him.  After 
he  had  made  his  bow  and  shaken  hands  with  the  King 
he  presented  me.  After  I  had  made  my  bow  the  King 
nodded  a  second  time  as  I  withdrew  —  the  King, 
standing,  shaking  hands  with  each  ambassador,  with 
out  making  any  remarks,  and  they  passed  on,  standing 
to  the  left  of  the  throne  in  the  corner  of  the  room. 
After  the  last  ambassador  had  passed,  the  King  sat 
down  and  bowed  to  each  minister  without  shaking 
hands,  and  they  passed  on  to  the  end  of  the  room. 
Then  came  the  members  of  the  government,  army, 

ij.   R.   Carter,   First   Secretary  of   the   United   States   Embassy   in 
London. 

2  Whitelaw  Reid. 

a  Paul  Cambon,  French  Ambassador  in  London. 


348          .     GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  V907 

navy,  and  those  who  were  attending  the  Levee,  so  that 
there  was  a  constant  stream  of  people  always  moving 
on  till  the  last  was  presented.  The  name  in  each  case 
was  announced  by  the  master  of  ceremonies.  While 
all  this  was  going  on  I  had  quite  an  extended  talk  with 
Poklewski,  the  Conseiller  of  the  Russian  Embassy, 
who  wanted  to  know  what  was  to  be  the  attitude  of 
our  government  on  disarmament  and  if  there  had  been 
any  changes.  I  told  him  that  I  could  not  give  him 
any  official  information,  as  it  was  three  weeks  since 
I  left  St.  Petersburg,  and  since  then  I  had  not  been 
in  communication  with  my  government. 

"  At  2.45  the  Ambassador's  carriage  arrived  to 
take  us  to  Buckingham  Palace.  J.  R.  Carter,  First 
Secretary  of  the  Embassy,  went  with  me.  We  were 
met  by  Lord  K[nollys?].  In  about  two  minutes 
word  came  down  that  the  King  would  see  us.  Im 
mediately  after  we  had  reached  the  King's  sitting- 
room.  His  Majesty  entered  unaccompanied.  I  bowed 
as  the  King  came  forward  and  shook  hands  with  me. 
Turning  to  the  other  gentlemen  he  said,  '  I  should  like 
to  have  a  talk  with  Mr.  Meyer,'  and  they  retired  in 
stantly.  He  then  led  the  way  to  the  other  end  of  the 
room,  invited  me  to  sit,  taking  an  easy  chair  him 
self. 

" '  So  you  have  just  left  St.  Petersburg,  and  are 
going  out  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps.  I  suppose  you 
are  sorry:  it  is  a  fascinating  life.'  This  gave  me  an 
opportunity  to  say  that  while  I  had  been  Ambassador 
and  in  the  diplomatic  [service]  we  had  all  looked  up 
to  him,  if  I  might  say  so,  as  the  ideal  diplomat  and 


190*1  AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  349 

the  greatest  of  ambassadors.  He  seemed  quite  pleased 
with  the  compliment  and  smiled  with  a  certain  pleas 
ure  and  probably  with  satisfaction  as  he  thought  of 
the  Entente  Cordiale  (for  which  he  had  done  so  much) 
between  England  and  France. 

"  He  asked  me  about  the  Emperor,  how  he  looked, 
and  if  it  was  true  that  the  Empress  and  her  sister, 
the  Grand  Duchess  Serge,  had  a  bad  influence  over 
the  Emperor  as  far  as  reforms,  etc.,  were  concerned; 
also  inquired  if  the  two  Montenegrins  were  intimate 
with  the  Empress,  adding,  '  I  hear  they  are  always 
scheming.'  His  Majesty  knew  of  the  divorce  of  the 
Duchess  of  Leuchtenburg,  but  wanted  to  know  if  they 
would  really  be  married  (she  and  Grand  Duke 
Nicolas.)1 

"  Finally,  after  we  had  discussed  conditions  for 
some  time,  he  said  suddenly,  '  What  opinion  did  you 
form  as  to  the  outcome,  and  what  would  happen? '  I 
replied  that  I  had  informed  my  government  for  some 
months  that  I  believed  the  Duma  would  be  radical, 
that  I  did  not  think  that  it  would  work  in  unison  with 
the  Cabinet,  that  probably  the  Duma  would  profit  by 
the  experience  of  the  first  Duma,  because  they  realized 
that  the  Government  dared  to  dissolve  the  Duma,  and 
the  troops  as  a  whole  were  loyal;  that  the  country  was 
one  of  great  resources,  but  capital  was  timid  and  enter 
prise  restricted.  I  had  confidence  in  the  final  out 
come:  it  could  not  go  backwards,  but  it  would  take  a 
long  time. 

"  His  Majesty  then  spoke  of  the  Hague  Confer- 

i  They  were  married  about  two  months  later. 


350  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

ence,  and  said  he  had  no  confidence  in  its  accomplish 
ing  anything,  evidently  having  no  high  opinion  of  it, 
which  coincides  with  what  the  Emperor  of  Germany 
had  told  me. 

"  I  told  him  how  well  Nicolson *  was  doing  in  St. 
Petersburg,  and  also  called  His  Majesty's  attention  to 
how  Durand 2  had  developed  after  he  had  announced 
his  retirement  and  what  good  speeches  he  had  made. 
*  Yes,'  said  the  King,  '  It  was  quite  remarkable.  I 
hope  Bryce 3  will  do  well.  I  believe  you  all  like  him. 
It  seemed  best  to  make  a  change.  I  have  never  met 
your  President,  but  I  have  a  great  admiration  for  him, 
for  his  friendly  and  cordial  feeling  for  Great  Britain, 
which  she  heartily  reciprocates  for  America.  I  know 
that  Germany  is  making  up  to  your  country  and  is 
more  than  anxious  to  make  and  create  the  closest  ties  ' ; 
whereupon  he  laughed.  I,  recognizing  what  was  im 
plied,  answered  that  while  America  desired  to  be  on 
friendly  terms  with  all  nations,  it  was  contrary  to  our 
policy  to  form  any  alliances. 

"  *  Yes,'  he  added,  *  good  understanding  and  bonds 
of  friendship  are  much  wiser.' 

"  After  asking  me  to  extend  his  cordial  greeting  to 
the  President  and  saying  he  was  glad  to  have  had 
the  opportunity  to  renew  our  acquaintance,  His 
Majesty  rose  and  said  good-bye,  wishing  me  a  bon 
voyage" 


1  Sir  Arthur  Nicolson   (now  Baron  Carnock),  British  Ambassador  to 
Russia,  1905-10. 

2  Sir   Henry   Mortimer   Durand,   British   Ambassador   to   the  United 
States,  1903-6. 

3  British  Ambassador  to  the  United  States,  1907-13. 


AMBASSADOR  TO  RUSSIA  351 

Meyer  took  the  Teutonic  the  next  day  at  Liver 
pool,  and  arrived  in  New  York,  March  1,  with  an 
equipment  of  European  experience  of  rare  value  to 
one  whose  work  for  the  next  six  years  was  to  be  that 
of  a  Cabinet  Officer  in  the  administrations  of  Presi 
dent  Roosevelt  and  President  Taft. 


V 

POSTMASTER  GENERAL 

(1907-1909) 

IT  was  on  Friday,  March  1,  that  Meyer  landed  in 
New  York  on  his  return  from  Russia.  He  imme 
diately  communicated  by  telephone  with  the  White 
House  in  Washington,  and  learned,  as  his  diary  puts 
it,  that  "  the  President  wishes  me  to  come  on  to 
Washington  this  evening  and  report  to  him  and  get 
acquainted  with  my  new  duties,  which  I  shall  have  to 
take  up  on  Monday."  This  energetic  programme,  be 
fitting  a  member  of  the  Roosevelt  Cabinet,  he  put  into 
effect. 

The  new  duties  awaiting  him  were  in  marked  con 
trast  with  those  of  an  ambassador.  The  mastery  of 
detail  inseparable  from  an  administrative  task  of  the 
first  magnitude  was  essential  to  its  successful  per 
formance.  Hardly  less  important  was  the  exercise  of 
a  political  sagacity  for  which  "  wisdom  "  may  be  the 
better  term,  since  it  concerned  relations,  not  only  with 
an  army  of  office-holders,  subject  to  a  great  variety 
of  political  influences,  but  also  with  the  entire  public 
in  its  most  nearly  universal  point  of  direct  contact  with 
the  Government.  It  is  only  necessary  to  observe  how 
every  failure  of  postal  administration  is  seized  upon  for 

362 


POSTMASTER  GENERAL  353 

complaint,  to  realize  the  importance  of  its  satisfactory 
conduct. 

For  both  of  these  elements  in  his  new  work  Meyer's 
experience  had  well  prepared  him.  His  earlier  busi 
ness  training,  of  general  rather  than  specific  value 
to  him  in  his  ambassadorial  posts,  was  now  to  be 
brought  into  vital  play.  His  years  abroad  had  trained 
his  capacity  to  see  things  in  the  large,  to  appreciate, 
for  a  single  example,  the  far-reaching  public  advantage 
of  such  an  institution  as  the  postal  savings-bank,  to 
the  establishment  of  which  his  energies  were  so  largely 
devoted.  The  detailed  record  of  his  actual  work  in 
this  and  other  directions  of  improvement  in  the  postal 
service  —  through  speeches,  writings,  and  appearances 
before  Congressional  committees  —  is  of  limited  gen 
eral  interest.  Some  of  the  results  of  his  labours,  and 
the  methods  employed  for  their  achievement,  will  be 
related  in  due  course.  His  own  record  of  the  years 
now  under  review,  especially  his  diary,  afford  many 
passages  in  which  the  operations  of  the  Roosevelt  Cab 
inet —  and  "tennis  cabinet"  -are  significantly  re 
vealed.  Beside  their  suggestions  of  the  personality  of 
the  chief  whose  character  and  example  meant  more  to 
Meyer  than  any  similar  influences  in  his  life,  they 
show  a  delightful  relation  of  friendship  and  confidence 
between  the  two  men,  to  be  counted  to  the  credit  of 
both. 

On  Meyer's  first  day  in  Washington,  March  2,  his 
diary  contains  the  first  of  many  entries  of  the  same 
character:  "Call  on  the  President  at  10.30  and  have 
a  long  and  interesting  conference  with  him;  go  over 


354  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

the  situation  at  Petersburg,  Berlin,  and  London,  re 
porting  the  conversations  that  I  have  had  with 
Iswolsky,  the  German  Emperor,  Sir  Edward  Grey, 
and  the  King  of  England.  Desired  me  to  come  and 
dine  in  the  evening  and  repeat  the  same  to  Root. 
.  .  .  The  President  and  I  dine  in  the  White  House 
at  8  alone.  .  .  .  Root  comes  in  after  dinner  and 
we  talk  over  disarmament,  or  rather,  as  Grey 
prefers  the  expression,  the  limitation  of  armament 
expenditure." 

On  the  third  day,  March  4,  Meyer  formally  took 
over  the  Post  Office  Department  from  his  predecessor, 
Mr.  George  B.  Cortelyou,  who  then  became  Secretary 
of  the  Treasury.  On  the  5th  he  attended  his  first 
Cabinet  meeting,  and  commented  upon  it:  "  There  was 
great  humour  shown  at  times  in  the  meeting,  which 
made  it  most  interesting  and  relieved  the  stiffness  of 
what  would  naturally  be  a  most  formal  occasion." 
On  the  6th  he  noted  his  first  entire  day  at  his  new 
work,  and  added:  "At  noon  message  comes  from  the 
White  House  that  the  President  wants  me  to  walk 
with  him  at  4.30  and  to  put  on  old  shoes.  I  know 
what  that  means! "  The  walk  of  more  than  two  years 
before  was  not  forgotten  —  nor  was  all  the  vigorous 
exercise  to  come  foreseen.  On  this  day  also  he  noted 
the  fact  of  moving  into  1709,  New  Hampshire  Avenue, 
the  house  he  was  first  to  occupy  in  Washington,  where 
his  wife  and  family  joined  him  on  the  next  day,  March 
7.  Later  they  lived  at  Connecticut  Avenue  and  S 
Street,  and  during  Meyer's  secretaryship  of  the  Navy, 
on  Scott  Circle, 


1907}  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  355 

Mr.  Taft,  his  colleague  as  Secretary  of  War  in  the 
Cabinet  he  joined,  and  his  chief  when  he  himself  be 
came  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  has  said  in  conversation, 
that  a  striking  characteristic  of  Meyer  in  the  admin 
istrative  posts  in  which  he  had  occasion  to  observe 
him  was  his  thorough  learning  of  the  job  he  had  to  do 
before  he  undertook  to  do  it.  His  first  months  in 
Washington  were  devoted  in  large  measure  to  this 
process  of  getting  at  the  essentials  of  his  task.  His 
lopping  off  of  the  unessentials  is  indicated  by  the  two 
following  passages  from  his  diary :  - 

ff  April  16.  —  I  informed  the  President  jokingly 
that  it  was  a  constant  embarrassment  to  me  to  be  called 
*  General  Meyer '  merely  because  I  was  Postmaster 
General.  Why  was  not  '  Secretary  of  the  Posts  * 
much  better?  *  By  George!'  he  cried,  'I  believe  I 
will  recommend  that  the  Attorney  General  be  known 
as  Secretary  of  Justice  and  you  Secretary  of  the 
Posts.'  I  wish  he  would. 

"April  17.  —  Called  my  Assistant  Secretaries  to 
gether  to-day.  Shall  probably  establish  the  custom 
of  having  joint  meetings  (like  a  council  meeting)  once 
a  month.  Have  also  arranged  that  they  can  see  me 
individually  between  12  and  1  every  day.  Gave  out 
an  order  that  I  was  not  to  be  addressed  as  '  General ' : 
no  more  right  to  the  title  than  a  cabman  or  any  other 
individual  not  in  the  army." 

The  next  day  he  wrote:  "The  papers  have  taken 
up  and  approved  my  order  stopping  the  use  of  the 
title  of  *  General '  for  the  Postmaster  General  or  his 
assistants."  Meanwhile  the  noting  of  a  newly  awarded 


356  GEORGE  \ON  L.  MEYER 

contract  for  the  making  of  stamped  envelopes,  at  a 
large  saving  to  the  Government,  gave  evidence  of 
early  results  from  the  labours  to  which  he  was  apply 
ing  himself  with  a  diligence  indicated  by  the  entries: 
'  The  work  I  find  very  confining  and  exacting.  Stay 
down  at  my  office  until  about  6.30  every  day";  and 
"  Get  away  for  the  first  time  before  6  P.M."  With 
the  coming  of  warm  weather  he  wrote :  "  Begin  riding 
every  morning  at  8  A.M.";  and  tennis  at  the  White 
House  and  afternoon  rides  with  the  President  and  his 
intimates  in  Rock  Creek  Park  began  to  figure  in  the 
daily  routine. 

Immediately  on  his  arrival  in  Washington  he  had 
noted  his  thanking  the  Japanese  Ambassador  for  the 
honour  the  Mikado  had  paid  him,  in  recognition  of  his 
work  in  Russia,  by  conferring  upon  him  the  Order  of 
the  Rising  Sun;  and  about  two  weeks  later  had  re 
corded  his  receiving  from  the  Italian  Ambassador  the 
insignia  of  the  rank  of  "  Cavaliere  di  Gran  Croce  deco- 
rato  del  Gran  Cordone  dei  SS.  Maurizio  e  Lazzaro," 
bestowed  by  the  King  of  Italy  motu  proprio  —  the 
highest  honour  he  could  confer  upon  a  foreign  citizen. 
Now,  the  duties  of  a  citizen  with  large  responsibilities 
in  his  own  country  confronted  him,  and  into  these  and 
their  attendant  pleasures,  he  plunged  with  character 
istic  zest.  The  abundant  record  of  it  all,  in  diary, 
private  and  official  correspondence,  and  public  state 
ments,  leaves  one  with  the  clear  impression  that  a  cab 
inet  officer  may  occupy  himself  quite  as  fully  as  an 
ambassador  with  social  pursuits,  and  at  the  same  time 
must  perform  a  vastly  greater  amount  of  hard  work. 


1907}  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  357 

None  but  the  most  vigorous  could  compass  it,  and 
the  constant  regard  to  physical  fitness  which  Meyer 
and  other  colleagues  of  the  President  shared  with  him 
stands  self -explained.  A  few  extracts  from  the  diary 
will  speak  for  the  active  months  before  the  heats  of 
midsummer  dispersed  the  official  society  of  Wash 
ington. 

"May  11.  —  Ride  with  the  President,  Root,  and 
Lodge ;  go  way  out  on  the  Potomac.  The  French  Am 
bassador  and  Madame  Jusserand  were  out  in  the  park 
near  the  hurdles.  The  President  put  his  horse  over 
the  3-foot  stone  wall  and  the  4-foot  hurdle.  Then  he 
turned  to  me  and  said  that  we  would  jump  them 
together,  which  we  did.  Lodge  said  my  horse  jumped 
in  much  better  form.  He  was  carrying,  however, 
about  30  pounds  less.  After  that,  without  realizing 
what  effect  it  would  have  on  the  President,  I  put  my 
horse  over  the  5-foot  jump.  I  had  no  sooner  done  it 
than  the  President  went  at  it.  His  horse  refused,  so 
he  turned  his  horse,  set  his  teeth,  and  went  at  it  again. 
This  time  his  horse  cleared  it  well  forward,  but 
dragged  his  hind  legs.  Lodge  was  very  much  put  out 
that  the  President  had  taken  such  a  risk  with  his 
weight.  I  appreciated  that  it  was  my  fault,  for  the 
President  said,  '  I  could  not  let  one  of  my  Cabinet 
give  me  a  lead  and  not  follow.' 

ff  May  12.  —  Ride  in  the  afternoon  with  the  Presi 
dent,  Mrs.  Roosevelt,  and  Cabot  Lodge.  We  took  a 
long  ride  of  nearly  two  hours  and  a  half.  I  rode  most 
of  the  time  with  the  President.  He  spoke  of  our  work 
since  graduating  at  Harvard,  and  said,  *  We  both  will 


358  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

be  able  to  retire  at  fifty,  having  really  done  and  accom 
plished  something,  and  can  look  back  with  satisfaction. 
I  have  the  greatest  contempt  for  certain  men '  — 
mentioning  names  — '  who  have  done  nothing  in  their 
lives  and  never  will.'  He  showed  me  to-day  that  he 
had  never  wavered  in  his  intentions  to  retire  at  the  end 
of  this  term  as  President.  I  got  him  to  promise  that 
in  his  farewell  address  to  Congress  he  would  not  say 
anything  which  would  so  commit  him  that  later  in  life, 
if  the  people  called  him,  he  could  not  consistently 
accept  a  nomination  after  one  or  two  terms  had  inter 
vened.  I  have  a  conviction  that  the  country  will  want 
him  again." 

Meetings  with  the  Duke  of  the  Abruzzi,  then  visit 
ing  America,  gave  occasion  for  many  entries  in  the 
diary  through  May  and  June.  As  a  former  Ambassa 
dor  to  Italy  it  was  but  natural  that  Meyer  should 
extend  to  him  the  hospitality  of  his  houses  both  in 
Washington  and  in  Hamilton.  It  is  enough  in  this 
place  to  accompany  them  only  on  visits  to  Mount 
Vernon  and  to  the  Jamestown  Exhibition  on  "  Georgia 
Day,"  when  Meyer,  leaving  Washington  on  the  Dol 
phin  as  the  guest  of  Mr.  Metcalf,  Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  joined  the  President's  party  on  the  Mayflower 
and  witnessed  an  impressive  ceremony. 

ff  May  21.  —  Go  to  Mount  Vernon  on  the  May 
flower  —  arranged  by  Secretary  of  the  Navy  for  the 
Duke  of  the  Abruzzi.  I  arrived  at  the  Navy  Yard  at 
the  appointed  time,  12.30.  The  soldiers  were  drawn  up 
by  the  Commandant,  and  as  I  alighted  from  the  car- 


1907}  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  359 

riage  they  presented  arms,  and  on  reaching  gangway 
the  bugle-call  was  sounded.  In  addition  to  the  Duke 
there  were  the  Italian  Ambassador  and  his  staff,  the 
Andersons,  Wilsons,  Cowles,  Miss  Elkins,  Alice,  Mrs. 
Metcalf,  Julia,  my  daughter  Alice  not  being  expected. 

"  The  sail  down  was  delightful,  part  of  the  time 
being  occupied  with  lunch.  When  we  reached  the  tomb 
of  Washington,  the  Prince  placed  at  the  head  a  large 
wreath  of  orchids.  I  was  much  impressed  with  the 
simplicity  of  Washington's  tomb  and  the  fine  trees 
that  surround  it.  At  the  Mansion  House  we  were 
received  by  the  Regents.  The  Duke  gave  his  arm  to 
the  presiding  lady,  and  on  the  lawn  a  ceremony  was 
performed  of  H.R.H.  planting  a  tree.  Next  we  were 
taken  over  the  house  and  then  to  the  garden  with  its 
beautiful  box  hedge,  its  fragrance  actually  perfuming 
the  air. 

"  The  day  was  completed  by  a  lovely  sail  up  the 
river  to  Washington  on  board  the  Mayflower  to  the 
Navy  Yard.  When  it  was  built  it  was  supposed  all 
vessels  would  be  able  to  come  up,  as  the  channel  is 
twenty  feet  deep.  But  no  big  cruiser  or  battleship 
will  ever  see  it  now. 

"June  11.  —  Yesterday,  10th,  quite  a  strenuous 
day.  Called  at  6  A.M.  in  order  to  be  transferred  to  the 
S.S.  Yankton,  which  was  to  take  us  down  the  bay 
eight  miles  below  Point  Comfort  in  order  to  board  the 
Mayflower  with  the  President  and  his  party.  This 
was  accomplished  at  8  A.M.  Besides  the  President  and 
Mrs.  Roosevelt  the  Mayflower  carried  the  Cowleses, 
Douglas  Robinsons,  the  Lafarges.  Our  party  con- 


360  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

sisted  of  the  Metcalfs,  French  Ambassador  and 
his  wife,  the  Dutch  Minister  and  Madame  van 
S[winderen],  and  the  George  Vanderbilts. 

"As  the  Mayflower  was  sighted  by  the  fleet,  a 
salute  was  given  of  21  guns.  As  we  approached  the 
fleet,  it  was  a  sight  which  made  a  great  impression 
and  was  really  grand,  the  magnificent  line  of  sixteen 
battleships  which  appeared  to  be  anchored  from  a  rope 
drawn  from  one  end  to  the  other,  so  carefully  had  the 
anchors  been  dropped.  These  huge  machines  of  war, 
looking  immaculately  white  with  the  sailors  in  white 
duck  strung  out  from  bow  to  stern,  gave  only  a  slight 
idea  of  [their]  might  and  power.  It  was  the  French 
ships  that  saluted  first  (21  guns),  the  President 
acknowledging  the  same  from  the  bridge,  at  the  same 
time  the  '  Star-Spangled  Banner '  being  played,  and 
so  on,  as  we  went  down  the  lines,  each  vessel  (nearly 
40)  firing  21  guns.  We  had  all  taken  the  precaution 
to  put  cotton  in  our  ears.  When  we  passed  the  Bra 
zilian  ships,  they  did  not  wait  and  fired  directly  at  the 
President's  boat  (the  Mayflower).  They  say  that  the 
Captain  of  the  Brazilian  man-of-war  while  here  in 
tended  to  pump  water  into  his  engines,  but  made  a 
mistake  and  pumped  it  into  the  ship! 

"  As  soon  as  the  Mayflower  came  to  anchor,  the 
admirals  of  our  ships,  according  to  their  ranks,  and 
those  of  the  foreign  fleets,  came  on  board  in  full  uni 
form  and  paid  their  respects  to  the  President,  returning 
to  their  ships  in  a  few  minutes.  After  that  we  in  turn 
departed  and  all  proceeded  to  the  Jamestown  Expo 
sition,  which  is  now  called  by  every  one  '  the  Imposi- 


1907}  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  361 

tion.'  Still  nothing  finished,  and  does  not  look  as 
though  it  would  be  before  the  Exposition  is  over.  We 
were  conveyed  in  carriages  to  the  grand  stand.  On 
the  President's  arrival,  the  Governor  opened  the  cere 
monies  and  introduced  the  President,  who  made  a  most 
excellent  address  of  about  an  hour.  Then  came  the 
review  of  the  cadets,  midshipmen,  sailors  from  the 
foreign  fleets,  and  about  3000  from  our  own  ships;  at 
the  end  the  state  troops  or  militia. 

'  This  had  taken  until  2  o'clock.  The  next  move 
was  to  the  Georgia  building,  where  we  were  told  we 
were  to  lunch  with  the  President  as  the  guest  of  the 
State  of  Georgia.  The  confusion  was  beyond  words, 
no  one  in  control,  and  what  was  worse,  no  signs  of 
lunch.  Finally  a  room  was  opened  large  enough  to 
hold  about  20  people  and  seats  for  12 !  The  President 
told  the  ladies  to  sit  down,  and  seeing  that  there  were 
only  about  six  loaves  and  two  fishes  and  no  baskets,  I 
took  the  Duke  of  the  Abruzzi  and  his  aides,  with  the 
Italian  Ambassador,  to  the  Swiss  restaurant,  where, 
after  some  difficulty,  I  managed,  with  the  help  of  a 
naval  officer,  to  obtain  a  table  and  from  a  waiter  some 
ham  sandwiches  and  excellent  beer.  I  told  Abruzzi 
that  there  was  just  as  much  difference  in  the  way 
things  were  done  in  the  North  and  South  of  my  coun 
try  as  in  the  North  and  South  of  Italy.  He  smiled 
and  said  he  quite  understood. 

"  Late  in  the  afternoon  it  began  to  rain  and  blow, 
and  I  got  to  the  S.S.  Varese  [of  the  Italian  Navy] 
from  the  Dolphin  with  some  difficulty.  The  Duke's 
guests  at  dinner  were  the  Elkinses,  General  Grant  and 


362  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

his  wife,  and  Mrs.  Kernochan  and  the  Italian  Ambas 
sador.  During  dinner  the  band  played  selections  from 
*  Tosca '  and  other  Italian  operas.  The  Duke  makes 
a  most  charming  host. 

'*  The  illuminations  on  all  the  battleships  were 
superb,  but  one  could  not  sit  on  deck  and  enjoy  it  on 
account  of  the  rain." 

Later  in  the  month  a  significant  meeting  with  the 
President  at  Oyster  Bay  is  recorded. 

"June  27.- — Arrive  in  New  York  at  f  A.M. 
Breakfast  at  the  Knickerbocker  Club,  take  the  10.50 
train  for  Oyster  Bay.  On  the  train  was  the  Chinese 
Minister,  the  Norwegian  Minister  and  his  naval  cap 
tain,  a  sculptor,  and  an  author.  At  the  house  we  found 
Secretary  Metcalf,  Captain  Wainwright  of  the  Naval 
Board,  and  Captain  Witherspoon  of  the  General  Staff 
of  the  Army. 

"  After  lunch,  when  the  other  guests  had  left,  with 
the  exception  of  the  Chinese  Minister,  who  was  led 
away  to  a  parlour  by  Mrs.  Roosevelt,  the  President  took 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Captain  Wainwright,  Cap 
tain  Witherspoon,  and  myself  to  his  study.  Handing 
me  a  report  he  said,  'Read  that  to  begin  with/  It 
was  a  report  of  the  General  Staff  as  to  our  fortifica 
tions,  etc.,  and  naval  bases,  in  case  of  war  with  Japan. 
The  first  matter  discussed  was  the  transferring  of  our 
battle  fleet  of  16-18  ships  to  the  Pacific,  which  was 
decided  as  advisable.  It  was  also  agreed  that  our 
armoured  cruisers  in  the  East  should  be  joined  to  the 
battleship  fleet  in  the  Pacific;  Subig  Bay  should  be 


1907]  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  363 

fortified,  and  not  Manila.  Finally  the  President  an 
nounced  that  *  if  war  does  come  after  I  am  out  of  the 
presidency,  I  have  decided  just  what  sort  of  a  regi 
ment  I  shall  raise  of  rifle  men  from  the  Rockies.'  He 
meant  it.  Details  were  gone  into  and  instruction  given 
as  to  acquiring  supplies  for  the  Army  and  Navy,  the 
President  saying,  '  I  propose  that  the  country  shall 
not  be  caught  unprepared  if  a  war  should  come  on.' 

"  I  returned  with  Secretary  Metcalf  on  the  Yank- 
ton.  Raising  anchor  at  4.30,  we  reached  the  N.Y.Y.C. 
pier  in  the  East  River  at  7.30.  Found  Bey  waiting 
for  me  at  the  Knickerbocker  Club,  where  we  all  dined 
together.  He  left  for  Boston  on  the  midnight  and  I 
for  Washington." 

Returning  again  to  Washington  a  few  weeks  later, 
Meyer  was  met  at  the  station  by  his  private  secretary, 
Dr.  John  A.  Holmes,  who  showed  his  own  pleasure 
in  handing  him  a  letter  just  received  from  the  Presi 
dent,  containing  the  following  paragraph,  which  must 
indeed  have  encouraged  the  new  Cabinet  Officer:  — 

And  now,  my  dear  George,  I  trust  it  is  not  necessary  for 
me  to  say  what  a  keen  satisfaction  and  comfort  I  have  taken 
out  of  your  being  Postmaster  General.  You  are  one  of  the 
Cabinet  Ministers  upon  whom  I  lean.  You  always  spare  me 
trouble,  you  never  make  a  mistake,  and  you  are  a  constant 
source  of  strength  to  the  administration. 

Ever  yours, 

THEODORE  ROOSEVELT. 

Before  Meyer  met  the  President  again  he  had  taken 
a  vacation  in  Canada,  at  the  salmon-fishing  club  on 


364  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

the  Restigouche,  where  he  often  sought  and  found  his 
most  refreshing  holidays.  Even  there  he  seems  not  to 
have  forgotten  what  he  had  recently  said  to  an  inter 
viewer,  -  "  Only  the  poor  can  limit  their  labours  to 
eight  hours  a  day,"  -  for  on  his  return  he  had  so  far 
formulated  his  plans  for  the  Post  Office  Department, 
to  be  embodied  in  his  first  Annual  Report,  that  he 
could  announce  them  to  the  public.  On  the  eve  of  so 
doing  he  paid  a  visit  to  Oyster  Bay,  thus  reported  in 
his  diary :  — 

ff  August  12.  —  Leave  for  New  York  on  the  one 
o'clock  train.  Hon.  Wm.  H.  Taft  gets  on  at  Provi 
dence  and  joins  me. 

"  Dine  on  the  terrace  at  Sherry's  together  at  7.30. 
[Taft]  explains  the  details  of  his  speech  which  he  is 
to  make  en  route  to  the  Pacific,  previous  to  sailing  for 
Manila. 

1  To-morrow  we  are  to  go  down  to  Oyster  Bay  to 
see  the  President.  Taft  arranges  to  call  for  me  at 
the  club  at  10.30  A.M.,  the  train  leaving  at  10.45. 

Cf  Tuesday,  13th.  —  We  reach  Oyster  Bay  at  noon, 
and  we  are  immediately  surrounded  by  newspaper  re 
porters  and  innumerable  questions  slung  at  us,  which 
we  avoid  answering  directly.  Fortunately  we  are  hur 
ried  away  in  an  automobile;  but  cameras  snap  us  at 
almost  every  corner. 

"  The  President  greets  us  with  great  cordiality, 
and  without  any  delay  we  sit  down  before  lunch  and 
talk  politics. 

'  The  financial  situation  is  considered,  as  well  as 
the  political,  as  regards  the  future.  The  President 


turn  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  365 

stated  that  Lodge  had  covered  the  case  when  he  said 
that  Roosevelt's  friends  could  not  make  him  accept 
another  nomination,  but  his  enemies  might! 

"  The  President  went  on  to  say  that  he  thought 
things  were  shaping  themselves  jso  that  Taft  would  be 
nominated  by  the  Republicans.  As  regards  New  York 
State,  he  thought  the  serious  question  was  the  can 
didacy  of  Hughes.  If  Hughes  were  nominated  he 
would  not  carry  out  the  so-called  Roosevelt  policy 
because  it  was  known  as  Roosevelt.  As  to  Cortelyou, 
he  did  not  consider  it  as  a  serious  movement.  Of 
course,  he  was  in  a  delicate  situation.  If  he  said  to 
Cortelyou  he  ought  not  to  be  a  candidate,  then  Cor 
telyou  would  have  the  feeling  that  he  had  been  pre 
vented  by  the  President  from  possibly  becoming  Presi 
dent  of  the  United  States.  This  was  best  to  avoid, 
especially  as  he  did  not  consider  it  imminent. 

"  Root  arrived  at  7  o'clock,  and  as  there  were  sev 
eral  matters  to  be  gone  over,  the  President  asked  Taft 
and  myself  to  stop  to  dinner  and  return  to  New  York 
by  automobile.  The  Japanese  situation  was  thor 
oughly  canvassed.  Japan,  it  is  believed,  has  made 
some  arrangement  with  Colombia  as  a  base,  in  case 
of  war  with  us.  Root  thinks  we  must  from  now  on 
show  a  courteous  but  firm  attitude  to  Japan,  or  else 
she  will  misunderstand  and  think  that  we  are  afraid 
of  her.  He  does  not  like  the  spirit  that  she  is  show 
ing  towards  us  in  connection  with  the  seal  fishermen 
that  were  shot  poaching. 

"  The  President  congratulated  himself  on  the  fact 
that  he  had  ordered  the  battle-fleet  to  proceed  this 


366  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

autumn  (probably  in  November)  to  San  Francisco,  as 
it  has  stopped  the  war  talk.  It  will  sail  via  the  Straits 
of  Magellan,  and  when  it  returns,  which  will  probably 
not  be  for  a  year,  it  will  come  by  Suez  and  the  Medi 
terranean,  thus  giving  a  world-wide  demonstration  of 
our  naval  strength. 

"  The  President  reported  that  Sternburg  had  been 
to  see  him  and  announced  that  the  Emperor  author 
ized  him  to  say  that  in  case  of  trouble  with  Japan, 
they  (Germany)  would  furnish  us  with  a  base  of 
supplies. 

"  It  was  decided  that  Taft  should  return  over  the 
Siberian  R.R.,  stop  over  a  day  at  St.  Petersburg  and 
a  couple  of  days  at  Berlin,  see  the  Emperor,  and  sail 
from  Bremen  or  Hamburg  for  New  York. 

"  Taft  and  I  left  in  the  auto  from  the  President's 
house,  Oyster  Bay,  at  9.30  P.M.,  and  arrived  in  Jersey 
City  Sit  11  P.M.,  when  we  were  met  by  a  number  of  re 
porters.  I  informed  them  that  the  Postmaster  of  New 
York  would  be  announced  the  next  day  —  Mr.  Mor 
gan,  the  present  Assistant  Postmaster  of  New  York." 

On  the  next  day  Mr.  Meyer,  visiting  the  New  York 
Post  Office,  gave  out  a  programme  of  improvement 
in  postal  matters  which  represented  the  serious  study 
he  had  been  devoting  for  more  than  five  months  to  the 
problems  of  his  office.  It  was  the  very  programme 
elaborated  in  his  first  Report,  published  in  the  follow 
ing  December.  Its  chief  points  were  an  extension  of 
the  usefulness  of  the  parcel  posts,  especially  on  rural- 
delivery  routes,  the  establishment  of  a  postal-savings- 


1907}  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  367 

bank  system,  the  reduction  of  foreign  letter-postage 
from  five  cents  to  two.  Besides  these  conspicuous  re 
forms,  there  were  other  proposals  of  obvious  advan 
tage  to  the  public  in  its  dealings  with  the  mails.  It 
could  not  be  expected  that  all  of  the  changes  advo 
cated  would  instantly  come  to  pass.  "  Penny  post 
age  "  between  England  and  the  United  States  had 
long  been  an  object  of  international  desire.  Its 
accomplishment,  through  the  cordial  cooperation  of  the 
British  authorities,  in  a  little  more  than  a  year  from 
the  time  of  Meyer's  announcement  of  his  intention  to 
work  for  it,  was  a  signal  achievement  of  his  administra 
tion.  In  his  plans  for  the  extension  of  the  parcel  post 
he  had  to  encounter  the  serious  opposition  of  express 
companies  and  country  merchants,  who  thought  they 
foresaw  the  destruction  of  their  business  through  the 
encouragement  of  the  mail-order  houses  in  large  cities. 
Much  misapprehension  of  facts  through  a  large  portion 
of  the  public  had  to  be  removed  by  means  of  a  cam 
paign  of  education,  to  which  Meyer  applied  himself, 
through  all  the  means  at  his  command,  with  great  as 
siduity  and  effectiveness.  Since  1907  national  legisla 
tion  has  greatly  reduced  the  cost,  and  increased  the 
limit  of  permissible  weight,  for  the  transmission  of 
merchandise  through  the  mails.  Meyer  must  be  cred 
ited  with  the  foresight  and  energy  which  imparted  to 
this  great  improvement  in  general  business  and  public 
convenience  much  of  the  impetus  which  has  brought 
about  the  existing  results.  His  correspondence, 
speeches,  and  published  writings  on  this  subject  alone 
constitute  a  notable  monument  of  telling  work. 


368  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER          • 

But  of  all  the  improvements  in  the  postal  service 
with  which  he  was  identified,  the  establishment  of  the 
national  system  of  postal  savings-banks  stands  most 
clearly  to  his  credit.  Since  1871  successive  Postmaster 
Generals  had  urged  the  adoption  of  this  plan  in  various 
forms,  without  avail.  Meyer's  own  observation  of  the 
workings  of  the  system  in  the  countries  of  Europe  in 
which  it  had  long  been  established  had  shown  him  its 
value.  On  taking  charge  of  our  own  postal  service, 
he  caused  the  successful  operation  of  the  system  in 
Canada  to  be  made  the  subject  of  expert  investigation. 
He  brought  together  figures  showing  the  amount  of 
savings  which  immigrants  from  various  European 
countries  were  sending  home  annually  to  the  postal 
savings  institutions  of  their  native  lands.  He  saw  the 
value  of  encouraging  thrift  in  this  element  of  the  popu 
lation,  and  of  taking  advantage  of  its  natural  trust  in 
the  agencies  of  our  government.  As  a  man  of  business, 
he  realized  also  the  advantage  of  capitalizing  for  the 
public  treasury  the  large  sums  of  money  otherwise 
hoarded  or  sent  out  of  the  country.  The  merits  of  his 
plan  were  obvious,  but  the  powerful  interest  of  the  pri 
vate  savings  banks,  fearing  curtailment  of  their  own 
appeal  to  the  savers  of  small  sums,  opposed  it  for  a 
time  with  vigour.  Here  again  there  was  a  crying 
need  for  education.  Meyer  made  himself  the  man  who 
could  best  meet  it.  He  mastered  the  subject  thor 
oughly,  presented  it  with  tact  and  force  to  Congres 
sional  committees  and  public  meetings  of  many  kinds, 
took  every  occasion  to  present  it  to  the  readers  of  the 
country,  engaged  the  President  and  his  colleagues  of 


1907]  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  369 

the  Cabinet  in  its  support,  overcame  the  opposition  of 
Speaker  Cannon  and  others  to  its  endorsement  in  the 
Republican  party  platform,  and  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  his  foundations  for  this  piece  of  work  so 
securely  laid  that,  not  long  after  the  end  of  his  term 
as  Postmaster  General,  the  Postal-Savings  System  was 
established  by  authority  of  an  Act  of  Congress  ap 
proved  June  25,  1910. 

During  the  months  while  Meyer  was  formulating 
the  policies  of  his  postal  administration,  he  was  also 
establishing  his  own  methods  of  daily  work  in  the  De 
partment.  It  has  been  seen  that  he  did  not  spare  him 
self  in  making  it  hard  work.  For  his  dealings  with  his 
subordinates  there  is  direct  testimony  to  the  effect  that 
in  controlling  an  organization  shot  through  with  the 
complexities  of  personal  political  ambitions  he  dis 
played  a  fairness,  firmness,  and  consideration  which 
won  him  the  hearty  support  of  the  army  of  postal 
employees  of  which  he  was  commander-in-chief .  There 
was  a  notable  absence  of  complaints  from  the  carriers' 
and  other  associations,  and  from  the  public.  The  work 
of  the  office  went  forward  without  congestion.  There 
were  frequent  consultations  with  responsible  chiefs 
whom  he  trusted,  and  did  not  nag. 

A  significant  episode  in  personal  relationships  oc 
curred  one  summer  in  his  entertainment  of  his  private 
secretary  at  his  fishing  club  in  Canada.  The  secretary 
was  introduced  to  his  friends  there  as  merely  another 
friend,  who  said  to  his  chief,  before  the  holiday  was 
over,  *  Why,  Mr.  Meyer,  people  would  think  you 
were  my  secretary  from  the  way  you  have  treated 


370  GEORGE  TON  L.  MEYER 

me."  It  is  easy  to  understand  that  the  atmosphere 
in  which  such  relations  could  exist  was  conducive  to 
the  best  results  in  the  accomplishment  of  work.  These 
results,  according  to  a  characteristic  personal  habit  of 
Mr.  Meyer's,  were  most  surely  achieved  when  he  did 
his  own  work  on  his  feet,  instead  of  sitting  at  a  desk. 
Before  the  end  of  his  first  year  in  Washington  the 
furnishings  of  the  Massachusetts  State  House,  then 
undergoing  alterations,  were  sold  at  auction.  Mr. 
Meyer  bought  the  high  carved  desk  which  he  and  many 
a  predecessor  had  used  as  "  Speaker  of  the  House," 
had  it  moved  to  Washington,  and  habitually  used  it, 
first  in  the  Post  Office,  then  in  the  Navy  Department, 
as  the  "  stand-up  "  table  at  which  most  of  his  daily 
work  was  done  —  a  symbol  both  of  association  and  of 
vigour. 

The  multiform  processes  by  which  the  work  on 
behalf  of  Postal  Savings  and  all  the  other  tangible 
performances  of  the  Postmaster  Generalship  were 
brought  to  pass  do  not  lend  themselves  readily  to  bio 
graphical  record.  They  must  rather  be  assumed  as  a 
substantial  background  of  arduous  labour  than  pre 
sented  in  detail.  For  the  immediate  purpose  it  is  better 
to  turn  to  Meyer's  diary  and  a  few  of  his  letters. 
These  will  reflect  many  episodes  of  his  daily  life,  and 
its  close  relations  to  national  affairs  and  the  conspic 
uous  personal  figures  engaged  in  their  conduct. 

"September  22.  —  Got  my  morning  ride  at  8 
o'clock,  before  the  rain  which  commenced  at  9.30. 
Lunch  at  Chevy  Chase  and  call  on  Mr.  Root  at  5  P.M. 
We  discuss  our  relations  with  Japan.  He  said  he  felt 


POSTMASTER  GENERAL  371 

that  the  President  at  one  time  this  summer  really  con 
sidered  a  Japanese  attack  imminent  or  liable.  He  had 
not  anticipated  one,  for  the  following  reasons:  their 
financial  condition  and  their  desire  not  to  be  considered 
barbaric  in  the  eyes  of  Western  civilization  if  they 
should  commence  war  without  a  proper  pretext  or  one 
that  would  justify  them  in  the  eyes  of  Europe  and  Eng 
land.  If,  later,  that  should  be  found  before  the  Canal 
was  completed,  their  first  act  after  taking  Hawaii, 
which  would  not  be  difficult,  would  be  to  seize  the 
Canal  and  then  offer  to  build,  or  complete  it  rather,  as 
an  international  canal,  which  would  find  approval  with 
Europe  and  demolish  the  Monroe  Doctrine.  Japan's 
advances  to  Colombia  and  the  appointment  of  a  min 
ister  point  to  the  idea  of  a  possible  base  of  supplies  in 
case  of  need." 

To  President  Roosevelt 

September  23,  1907. 
MY  DEAR  ME.  PRESIDENT,  — 

I  desire  to  acknowledge  receipt  of  your  letter  of  the  19th 
instant,  and  to  take  this  opportunity  to  ask  your  consideration 
of  the  suggestion  that  the  designation  of  the  Postmaster  Gen 
eral  be  changed  to  that  of  Secretary  of  Posts.  The  Postmaster 
General's  present  title  results  in  his  being  designated  chiefly  as 
"  General,"  a  misnomer  if  ever  there  was  one.  The  Post-Office 
Department  is,  I  believe,  at  present  the  largest  one  in  the  Gov 
ernment,  the  expenditures  exceeding  two  hundred  million 
dollars;  it  is  made  up  of  post  offices,  the  railway-mail  service, 
star-route  service,  steamboat  service,  rural  delivery,  the  money- 
order  and  registry  systems,  the  domestic  and  foreign  parcels 
post  (the  former  being  limited  to  4  pounds  and  the  latter  to  11 


372  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

pounds  in  the  case  of  most  foreign  countries)  ;  the  inspection 
service,  etc.,  etc.  The  head  of  the  Department  is  no  longer  in 
any  sense  a  postmaster.  He  has  the  administration  of  this 
enormous  Department,  and  is  secretary  of  a  Department  just 
as  much  as  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  the  Secretary  of 
War,  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  of  the  Interior,  of  Agricul 
ture,  of  Commerce  and  Labour,  and  the  same  is  equally  true 
of  the  title  of  the  Attorney  General. 

If  it  should  be  your  pleasure  to  recommend  to  Congress 
that  the  Attorney  General  be  known  as  the  "  Secretary  of  Jus 
tice,"  and  that  the  Postmaster  General  be  known  as  the  "  Secre 
tary  of  Posts,"  the  head  of  every  Department  in  your  Cabinet 
would  then  have  a  uniform  title,  that  of  "  Secretary,"  which 
would  seem  most  fitting  for  the  head  of  each  Department. 

Commending  this  suggestion  to  your  kind  consideration, 
and  looking  forward  to  seeing  you  again  on  the  25th,  believe 
me,  always, 

Faithfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER, 

Postmaster  General.1 

[Diary] 

fe  September  26.  —  President  telephoned  for  me  to 
come  to  the  White  House  this  A.M.  There  were  so 
many  people  waiting  to  have  a  word  with  him,  that 
he  suggested  my  coming  round  at  10  P.M.  so  that  we 
would  not  be  interrupted,  as  he  had  a  number  of  things 
that  he  wanted  to  go  over  with  me. 

i  Though  the  President  was  sympathetic  with  this  suggestion,  the 
change  of  titles  was  not  made.  It  should  be  noted,  however,  that  in  his 
next  Message  to  Congress,  December  3,  1907,  he  recommended  the  adoption 
of  the  plan  proposed  by  Meyer  (see  ante,  p.  265),  that  in  national  political 
campaigns  Congress  should  appropriate  funds  for  the  legitimate  campaign 
expenses  of  each  of  the  great  national  parties. 


1907}  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  373 

"  I  arrived  at  the  White  House  at  10  P.M.,  found 
the  Assistant  Secretary  of  State  (Bacon)  upstairs  with 
the  President.  The  situation  at  Panama,  in  the  East, 
and  the  attitude  of  Japan  were  gone  over.  At  11  P.M. 
Bacon  left,  and  after  I  had  reported  matters  in  con 
nection  with  the  Department,  the  President  suddenly 
said,  '  I  want  to  talk  politics  with  you.  How  do  you 
size  up  the  present  situation?'  I  told  him  that  at 
present  Hughes  was  growing  in  New  York  and  the 
East,  but  not  in  the  West.  Cortelyou  was  out  of  it. 
In  the  West  people  were  Roosevelt,  if  anything  more 
than  ever,  but  there  was  also  a  growing  sentiment 
among  a  certain  class  of  voters  that  were  for  him,  who 
were  saying,  'Well,  if  Roosevelt  won't  run,  then  we 
shall  vote  for  Bryan,  because  next  to  Roosevelt  he  has 
the  interest  of  the  people  most  at  heart  and  will  fight 
these  monopolies  and  corrupt  corporations!'  The 
President  said,  *  You  are  quite  right.  I  think  that  is 
the  situation  at  the  present  time.  Lodge  in  his  last 
letter  was  not  so  emphatic  about  not  running  under 
any  circumstances.'  I  think  I  saw  signs  that  the 
President  begins  to  realize  that  under  certain  condi 
tions  he  may  be  forced  to  run  against  his  own  wishes, 
in  order  to  ensure  the  present  policies  being  continued 
and  to  avoid  a  Democratic  victory. 

ff  October  25.  —  First  Cabinet  Meeting  since  last 
June,  Taft,  and  Straus  absent.  President  tells  a 
story  why  Root,  according  to  a  certain  general,  is  the 
greatest  Secretary:  'The  trouble  with  Taft  was  that 
he  had  once  been  a  Judge,  and  if  he  came  up  against 
the  law  in  a  policy  which  he  wanted  to  pursue,  he  had 


374  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

such  a  respect  for  the  law  that  he  gave  in,  while  Secre 
tary  Root  was  such  a  great  lawyer  that  he  always 
could  find  a  way  to  get  around  it.' 

"  The  reporter  of  the  Record-Herald  of  Chicago 
asked  me  if  I  was  going  to  Berlin  as  Ambassador.  I 
replied,  *  No,  I  have  only  just  come  home.'  He  then 
informed  me  that  he  had  heard  it  at  the  German  Em 
bassy,  and  evidently  it  would  be  very  agreeable  to  the 
Emperor,  and  as  much  had  been  intimated.  Later, 
it  seems,  this  same  correspondent  asked  the  President 
if  it  was  true  and  the  President  had  answered  that  he 
needed  me  in  the  Cabinet. 

"  President  sends  for  Bob  Bacon  and  myself  to 
consult  us  about  a  letter  he  has  been  requested  to  write 
to  New  York  to  restore  confidence.  I  get  him  to  put 
in  the  expression,  '  the  underlying  conditions  of  the 
country  are  sound  and  honest.' 1 

ff  November  1.  —  Important  Cabinet  meeting.  Dis 
cuss  the  present  crisis  and  financial  condition.  The 
President  had  been  urged  by  some  to  call  Congress 
together.  Asked  our  advice,  which  was  unanimous 
against  such  action. 

"  The  question  of  Taft's  trip  home  was  brought  up, 
as  to  the  advisability  of  his  returning  by  the  way  of 
St.  Petersburg,  Berlin,  Paris,  etc.  The  President 
cabled,  saying  that  he  must  decide  for  himself,  but  if 
he  stayed  on  it  would  be  wiser  to  return  by  San 
Francisco. 

"  Cortelyou  has  come  into  prominence  again  for 

iThe  Knickerbocker  Trust  Co  in  New  York  had  suspended  payments 
a  few  days  before,  and  the  financial  panic  of  1907  had  begun. 


i9<m  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  375 

President  by  the  financial  troubles  in  New  York  and 
the  important  part  that  the  Treasury  has  played  in 
advancing  money  to  the  banks. 

ff  November  14.  —  President  sent  for  me  at  9.30 
A.M.,  gave  me  his  message  to  Congress  which  he  wants 
me  to  read  and  have  back  at  9  P.M.  the  same  day. 
Return  it  in  person  at  the  White  House  at  the  ap 
pointed  hour.  The  President  recommends  Postal  Sav 
ings  Banks  and  extension  of  Parcel  Post,  especially 
on  rural  routes  and  to  benefit  the  farmer.  His  meas 
ure  is  conservation;  quotes  from  his  former  ones  and 
shows  conclusively  that  he  is  not  hostile  to  well-man 
aged  corporations  or  successful  and  honest  men.  It 
is  an  able  straightforward  document. 

ef  November  15.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  Mr.  Barney, 
President  of  the  Knickerbocker  Trust,  shoots  him 
self. 

"  After  the  Cabinet  meeting  the  President  invited 
Root,  Cortelyou,  and  myself  to  stay.  The  financial 
situation  was  reviewed  and  means  considered  to  alle 
viate  the  situation  and  restore  confidence.  Adjourned 
at  1.30  to  meet  again  at  6  P.M. 

"  At  6  o'clock  the  President  read  the  draft  of  a 
letter  addressed  to  Cortelyou  as  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  approving  the  $50,000,000  Panama  bonds 
and  $100,000,000  notes  for  one  year  bearing  interest. 
These  can  be  issued  under  the  act  of  1898  (at  the  time 
of  the  Spanish  war). 

"  The  wording  of  the  letter  was  discussed,  and  the 
question  whether  both  should  be  announced  at  once.  I 
favoured  this  strongly,  in  order  to  get  the  moral  effect 


376  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

and  if  possible  restore  confidence  and  reassure  timid 
people. 

"  Met  at  the  White  House  to  discuss  and  review 
the  President's  message.  Root  and  myself  present, 
later  Cortelyou. 

<e  November  16.  —  President  called  a  meeting  at 
the  White  House  at  6  P.M.  of  the  same  sub-committee 
of  the  Cabinet,  Root,  Cortelyou,  and  myself,  to  decide 
finally  on  the  bond  and  note  issue  and  the  exact  text 
of  the  President's  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Treas 
ury,  to  be  made  public  Sunday  morning. 

"  Decide  to  issue  both  the  bonds  and  the  notes,  and 
the  exact  phraseology  of  the  President's  letter  intended 
to  restore  confidence,  and  call  attention  to  the  strong 
gold  reserve,  etc.,  of  the  Treasury  and  underlying  con 
ditions  of  business,  which  were  sound. 

(f  November  24-  —  Take  a  three-hours'  walk  in  the 
afternoon  with  the  President  and  Robert  Bacon.  We 
climb  cliffs  and  do  all  sorts  of  stunts,  going  along  the 
banks  of  Rock  Creek.  If  he  had  slipped,  any  one  or 
all  of  us  might  have  broken  our  legs  or  neck.  I  hon 
estly  think  it  is  taking  a  foolish  chance,  as  we  are  all 
within  a  year  of  50. 

ef  November  25.  —  The  papers  announce  that 
Speaker  Cannon  will  oppose  Postal  Savings  Banks 
and  extension  of  parcel  post,  notwithstanding  the  pop 
ular  demand. 

"  Had  an  hour's  conference  with  the  Speaker  in 
his  private  room  over  the  matter,  but  made  practically 
no  headway.  He  is  seventy  years  old  and  does  not 
believe  in  new  ideas,  besides  being  very  egotistical  and 


POSTMASTER  GENERAL  377 

narrow,  and  with  no  experience  outside  of  the  House. 

"  November  29.  —  Cabinet  Meeting.  Good  deal 
of  discussion  about  the  Japanese.  Russian  officers  are 
offering  their  services,  in  case  of  war  with  Japan,  in 
Philippine  Islands.  The  President  does  not  think  that 
we  will  have  war;  if  they  should  have  such  a  purpose, 
they  will  have  to  attack  before  the  fleet  reaches  San 
Francisco.  We  know  that  the  Japs  are  buying  ammu 
nition  in  large  quantities.  I  think  they  merely  want  to 
be  ready  in  case  the  unexpected  should  occur. 

"Play  tennis  at  3.30  with  the  President,  French 
Ambassador,  and  Nick  Longworth." 

The  diary  for  December  3  reveals  an  amusing 
aspect  of  Meyer's  relation  with  his  chief  and  at  the 
same  time  points  to  material  for  illustration.  It  reads 
as  follows:  "  Cabinet  meeting.  Although  it  was  snow 
ing,  the  President  suggested  tennis  for  the  afternoon. 
Later  this  was  changed  to  a  walk  at  3.30  P.M.  I  was 
obliged  to  give  out,  as  there  is  such  a  mass  of  work  to 
be  attended  to.  Later,  at  6  P.M.,  I  receive  the  enclosed 
letter  from  the  President."  It  came  in  a  White 
House  envelope,  addressed  in  Roosevelt's  own  hand 
writing,  — 

"  To  the  Postmaster  General 

(Secretary  of  Posts) 
"  Immediate,  and  highly  unimportant. 
"  No  cup  from  the  Tennis  cabinet  for  yon!!!!  " 

The  first  of  its  two  sheets  reproduced  herewith  was 
signed  with  the  initials  of  the  President,  the  French 


378  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Ambassador,  M.  Jusserand,  and  Mr.  Beekman  Win- 
throp,  at  that  time  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 
The  second  sheet  is  notable  for  the  President's  Lear-like 
portrait  of  himself  leading  his  fellow  "  scramblers." 
Altogether  it  is  one  of  the  informal  documents  testify 
ing  to  the  "  bully  time "  of  the  Roosevelt  admin 
istration. 

Early  in  the  Christmas  month  of  1907,  Meyer 
issued  an  order  to  postmasters  throughout  the  country, 
which  resulted  in  a  wide  dissemination  of  pleasure 
through  the  holiday  season.  A  young  lady  in  Phila 
delphia  had  written  to  the  President  suggesting  that 
something  be  done  for  the  trusting  children,  especially 
of  the  poorer  sort,  who  mailed  letters  to  Santa  Claus 
telling  him  what  they  "  wanted  for  Christmas."  The 
idea  appealed  to  Roosevelt,  who  committed  its  execu 
tion  to  Meyer,  with  the  result  that  the  postmasters, 
before  the  middle  of  December,  received  the  following 
instructions:  — 

Ordered,  that  hereafter  and  until  the  close  of  the  first  day 
of  January,  1908,  postmasters  are  directed  to  deliver  all  letters 
arriving  at  their  respective  post-offices  addressed  plainly  and 
unmistakably  to  "  Santa  Claus,"  without  other  terms  or  ex 
pressions  identifying  the  person  for  whom  such  letters  are  in 
tended,  to  any  regularly  organized  charitable  society  in  the 
city  or  town  of  address,  to  be  used  exclusively  for  philanthropic 
purposes.  In  the  event  that  claim  should  be  made  by  more  than 
one  such  society  for  letters  so  addressed,  such  letters  will  be 
equally  divided  according  to  number,  between  or  among  the 
societies  making  such  claim. 


\. 
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*"  ^H-   t 

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P4 
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o 

P4 
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O 


POSTMASTER  GENERAL  379 

It  was  an  order  which  met  with  universal  approval. 
Under  such  headings  as  "  Squelching  *  Old  Scrooge'," 
the  press  commended  it  warmly;  and  from  cities  in  all 
parts  of  the  country  came  reports  that  "  Santa  Glaus 
Letters,"  in  numbers  aggregating  tens  of  thousands, 
had  been  received  and  answered  by  deputies  of  the 
Christmas  Saint.  In  the  following  year  the  order  was 
not  renewed.  The  Postmaster  General,  who  had  re 
ceived  nothing  but  praise  in  this  matter  from  the  news 
papers  in  1907,  was  now  blamed  by  many  of  them  for 
heeding  the  reports  that  the  very  publicity  accorded 
to  the  plan  had  led  to  its  abuse  in  many  unworthy 
quarters.  This  was  apparently  the  fact.  Had  the 
practice  been  continued  to  the  present  day,  the  Post 
Office  and  the  charitable  societies  might  well  have  at 
tained  a  monopoly  of  Christmas. 

The  diary  proceeded  to  touch  upon  many  matters 
of  greater  moment. 

"December  11.  —  Call  at  the  White  House  at 
10.30.  The  Cabinet  room  crowded  with  people.  Went 
into  the  President's  room,  where  he  at  once  called  me 
over  to  him  and  said,  '  What  do  you  think  of  my 
issuing  a  letter  at  once,  saying  that  I  have  not  been 
and  shall  not  be  a  candidate? '  I  replied  that  within 
the  last  forty-eight  hours  I  had  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  it  would  be  the  best  thing  to  do,  and  to  do  it  at 
once.  The  meeting  of  the  National  Committee  lately 
at  Washington,  and  the  action  of  certain  Federal  office 
holders  in  the  South,  had  placed  the  President  before 
the  public  in  the  eyes  of  some  people  as  though  he 
were  playing  with  the  question  and  was  in  doubt  as  to 


380  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

his  final  action.  I  suggested  that  he  also  get  the 
opinion  of  Root.  He  then  informed  me  that  Root  was 
to  ride  with  him  at  3.30,  and  asked  me  to  come  also. 

"  We  met  at  17th  and  Park  Row,  and  the  Presi 
dent  in  his  direct  way  took  up  the  subject  at  once. 
Root  agreed  that  it  was  a  proper  time  to  make  a  state 
ment,  the  call  for  the  conventions  having  been  made 
and  the  place  decided  upon.  After  some  discussion  it 
was  agreed  that  the  President  should  not  write  a  letter 
but  give  out  the  same  statement  that  he  made  Novem 
ber  8,  1904,  with  this  addition:  'Under  no  circum 
stances  will  I  be  a  candidate  for  or  accept  another 
nomination.' 

ff  December  12.  —  President's  statement  printed  in 
all  the  morning  papers  that  he  would  not  be  a  candi 
date  again.  His  action  is  commended  by  the  press  of 
both  parties  all  over  the  country.  This  clears  the  air 
and  will  force  the  hand  of  the  third-termers  to  say 
exactly  whom  they  are  for. 

"  Cortelyou  is  being  criticized,  and  his  friends  are 
supposed  to  have  been  hiding  behind  the  third-term 
movement.  Taft's  support  has  suffered  from  the  fact 
that  he  has  been  out  of  the  country. 

ff  December  13.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  .  .  .  The 
President  .  .  .  requested  me  to  come  round  to  the 
White  House  at  9.30  in  the  evening. 

"  The  business  and  commercial  outlook  for  the 
future  is  not  encouraging  and  the  prospects  are  not 
encouraging.  This  is  liable  to  affect  elections  next 
November  if  hard  times  come  on  and  continue. 

"9.30  P.M.     The  President  seemed  much  pleased 


1908]  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  381 

by  the  way  that  his  statement  has  been  received,  and 
it  must  also  be  a  relief  to  have  the  public  finally  under 
stand  that  he  will  not  stand  again.  I  went  over  the 
standing  of  the  different  candidates,  and  he  appreciates 
that  it  will  be  too  embarrassing  having  two  candidates 
from  the  Cabinet,  Taft  and  Cortelyou.  He  mentioned 
that  he  might  ask  them  both  to  resign.  I  suggested 
that,  if  they  both  insisted  on  remaining  candidates  it 
might  be  well  to  compromise  on  Mr.  Root  as  the  ad 
ministration  candidate.  This  seemed  to  impress  the 
President  as  a  possible  outcome. 

"January  11,  1908.  —  Have  a  long  walk  with  the 
President.  Jusserand,  the  French  Ambassador,  was 
with  us.  We  were  taken  over  impossible  places,  climb 
ing  as  best  we  could  at  considerable  risk  of  falling. 
At  one  place,  where  we  had  to  go  along  a  narrow 
ledge  with  nothing  to  hold  on  to  and  every  chance  of 
falling  into  Rock  Creek,  the  French  Ambassador 
funked  it,  and  I  told  him  that  now  he  had  become  the 
President  of  the  Mollycoddles,  which  quite  depressed 
him  the  rest  of  the  afternoon. 

"  January  21.  —  Cabinet  meeting,  an  exceptionally 
short  session;  get  through  at  12.30  and  return  to  the 
office,  as  the  President  wants  Root  and  me  to  ride  with 
him  and  have  our  horses  at  the  end  of  17th  St.  at  3.30. 

'  We  get  mounted  at  3.45,  and  go  at  once  into 
Rock  Creek  Park.  While  riding  we  discuss  the  Japa 
nese  immigration  question  and  the  French  tariff. 
Coming  home,  the  President  said,  '  Lodge  wants  me  to 
go  abroad  for  a  year  or  two  when  I  leave  the  White 
House ;  but  I  have  no  idea  of  doing  it,  because  I  should 


382  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

have  to  call  on  the  crowned  heads  and  act,  in  a  way, 
as  though  I  were  still  President,  which  I  am  not  will 
ing  to  do  and  have  no  desire  to.  Then  others  want  me 
to  return  to  the  Senate  as  Senator  from  New  York. 
If  I  had  never  been  President,  I  would  be  very  glad 
to;  but  I  think  it  would  be  not  only  unwise  but  in  bad 
taste  for  me  to  go  to  the  Senate,  where  I  would  at 
times  not  appear  to  be  giving  my  successor  a  free  hand 
or  would  be  accused  of  trying  to  shape  a  policy.  No,' 
he  added,  { I  should  keep  quiet  and  out  of  sight  as 
much  as  possible  and  not  embarrass  the  next  Presi 
dent.'  Then,  turning  to  Root,  he  asked,  *  How  would 
you  like  to  be  Senator  from  New  York?  *  *  I  would 
not  go  across  the  street  to  get  it,'  replied  Root,  '  but 
I  suppose  I  would  accept  it,  if  it  was  offered  me.' 
The  President  then  said,  '  George,  I  have  had  a  mighty 
good  time,  and  it  has  been  fine  to  have  been  President 
at  an  age  when  I  could  enjoy  it,  and  we  have  had  some 
good  walks  and  rides  together  of  a  kind  which  former 
Presidents  have  been  too  old  to  do.' 

ff  February  8.  —  The  President  sends  word  that  he 
wants  me  to  walk  with  him  at  4  o'clock  and  to  join 
him  at  the  White  House.  Find  Rev.  Endicott  Pea- 
body,  Robert  Bacon,  and  one  of  his  former  Rough 
Riders.  We  started  at  4.15  P.M.  with  two  secret 
service  men  following.  We  go  across  the  White 
House  lot,  and  then  over  the  Potomac  by  the  long 
bridge  —  smooth  going,  but  once  over  the  river  the 
President  strikes  downstream  through  frozen  marshes, 
thick  canes,  and  underbrush,  picking  out  always  the 
roughest  going,  at  a  four-mile  pace.  We  get  back  to 


1908}  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  383 

the  White  House  at  6.30.  I  tumble  into  a  hot  bath 
and  then  wrap  myself  up  in  blankets  for  a  quarter 
of  an  hour,  as  we  are  dining  at  the  Shoreham  —  Alice, 
James  Lawrence,  and  Violet  Vivian  and  myself,  and 
then  going  to  the  theatre. 

"February  13.  —  Root  and  I  go  to  ride  (on  horse 
back)  with  the  President  at  4.30  P.M.  The  ren 
dezvous  is  17th  Street;  turn  into  the  Park  and  have  a 
fine  ride,  the  first  one  for  a  week  on  account  of  the 
snow.  The  President  tells  of  a  letter  received  from 
Tower,  Ambassador  at  Berlin,  in  which  he  relates  an 
audience  with  the  Emperor,  who  tells  him  of  10,000 
Japanese  in  Mexico  who  have  been  drilled  and  ready 
at  a  moment  to  enter  the  U.  S.  armed!!  Root  replied 
that  there  were  hardly  any  Japs  left  in  Mexico,  and 
the  President  said  that  it  was  one  of  the  Kaiser's  '  pipe 
dreams.' 

"February  14.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  Interesting 
discussion  about  Japan.  Root  made  the  statement 
that  thirty-five  per  cent  of  the  taxes  in  Japan  went 
for  Army  and  Navy  purposes ;  that  they  were  increas 
ing  their  Army  and  keeping  up  their  Navy;  that  the 
nation  had  almost  come  to  the  point  of  breaking  down 
under  the  heavy  burden;  that  sooner  or  later  it  meant  a 
choice  of  revolution  or  war  with  a  foreign  country. 
The  Japs  had  concealed  from  their  country  the  real 
cause  of  peace,  which  was  that  the  expense  had  used 
up  almost  all  their  resources.  The  President  said,  not 
withstanding  our  exact  information  as  to  Japan's  prep 
aration  there  were  certain  '  sublimated  sweetbreads ' 
who  closed  their  eyes  to  any  chance  of  trouble  with 


384  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Japan.     It  was  possible  that  she  intended  inroads  or' 
China,  but  on  the  other  hand  the  treaties  with  Eng 
land,  France,  and  Russia  called  for  the  integrity  of 
China. 

ef  February  15.  —  The  President  asked  me  to  go  to 
walk,  but  I  excused  myself  on  the  ground  that  I  was 
to  have  a  talk  with  Taft  on  the  long  distance,  and  with 
Hitchcock  before  he  left  the  Department.  Heard 
later  that  they  swam  the  River  (Rock  Creek)  as  a 
stump. 

"February  16.  —  Ride  in  the  afternoon  with  the 
President,  Root,  and  Douglas  Robinson,  at  4  P.M. 
Meet  at  the  corner  of  35th  Street  and  T  Street. 

'  The  President  said  to  Root,  '  George  Meyer, 
when  I  ask  him  to  go  to  walk,  refuses,  but  with  an  air 
which  is  as  much  as  to  say,  "  I  have  been  several  times 
and  I  am  able  to  do  it,  therefore  I  can  refuse  "!! '  The 
President  told  this  with  one  of  his  smiles  which  showed 
all  his  fine  teeth. 

'  When  the  ride  was  over,  and  we  finished  at  Sheri 
dan  Circle,  he  said,  '  I  am  so  glad  that  you  have  not  cut 
off  riding  with  me  as  yet.' 

"February  21.  —  At  Cabinet  meeting  to-day  the 
President  spoke  of  the  Japanese  situation  and  the  sup 
posed  dangers  to  our  fleet  in  Eastern  waters.  Strictly 
confidential  instructions  have  been  sent  to  Admiral 
Evans  and  the  commanding  officers  to  be  on  their 
guard  as  in  time  of  war  against  any  torpedo  or  mine 
attack,  although  the  President  added,  '  It  is  extremely 
improbable  that  any  attempt  will  be  made,  yet  any 
thing  of  that  sort  would  be  so  disastrous  that  we  should 


1908}  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  385 

take  every  precaution.  The  German  Emperor  sends 
stories  of  all  sorts  of  rumours,  and  if  we  believed  them 
our  fleets  would  be  in  the  same  nervous  condition  as 
that  of  Rodjestvensky  on  the  way  to  Japan  through 
the  Baltic.'  Some  unforeseen  event  may  cause  Japan 
to  strike  us,  but  the  President  did  not  believe  it  likely 
and  believed  that  China  was  much  more  likely  to  be 
the  scene  of  war,  if  any,  than  our  Pacific  Coast. 

ff  February  29.  —  Had  a  delightful  ride  alone  with 
the  President.  We  mounted  at  17th  near  the  Park 
at  4.30,  got  back  at  6.30. 

"  I  reported  conditions  in  New  York  and  informed 
him  that  I  had  told  the  '  reactionists '  that  if  they 
continued  their  opposition  to  Taft  and  prevented  his 
being  nominated  on  the  first  ballot,  the  Convention 
was  liable  to  bolt  for  Roosevelt.  He  felt  this  very 
condition  might  be  the  cause  of  their  eventually  sup 
porting  Taft,  in  order  to  avoid  him. 

ff  March  20.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  All  present. 
Decide  to  accept  the  invitation  from  Japan  to  have 
the  fleet  visit  their  ports.  Attention  was  brought  to 
the  publication  of  a  Socialistic  journal  in  Paterson. 
The  President  much  incensed.  It  urged  the  use  of 
dynamite  to  destroy  the  troops  and  the  police.  Under 
instructions  from  the  President,  I  am  to  stop  the 
transmission  through  the  mails. 

"  The  President  read  his  intended  message  to  the 
entire  Cabinet.  It  was  amusing  to  hear  Taft  and 
Bonaparte  disagree  as  lawyers  as  to  the  meaning  of 
certain  phrases.  It  pleased  the  President  and  gave 
him  the  opportunity  to  say,  '  Well,  gentlemen,  if  you 


386  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

cannot  understand,  how  in  the  world  will  Congress 
be  able  to?' 

"March  27.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  The  Attorney 
General  informed  the  Cabinet  that,  under  the  strict 
construction  of  the  law,  I  probably  had  not  the  author 
ity  to  keep  certain  anarchistic  papers  out  of  the  mail, 
as  the  Courts  had  previously  defined  what  '  immoral ' 
was. 

"  I  informed  the  Attorney  General  that  it  had 
already  been  done,  and  the  President  added  that  we 
had  public  sentiment  with  us,  and  that  he  should  con 
tinue  this  policy  towards  the  papers  which  threatened 
life  and  property  until  the  Courts  stopped  us. 

"April  7.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  Taft  and  Cor- 
telyou  both  absent. 

"  The  President  in  meeting  turned  to  me  and  said 
that  he  had  Imperial  information  that  I  was  not  quite 
satisfied  or  contented  being  in  the  Cabinet,  and  that 
he,  the  Emperor,  would  be  very  pleased  to  have  me 
come  as  Ambassador  to  Berlin;  reminded  the  Presi 
dent  that  he  had  sent  Speck  to  please  him." 

During  all  this  time  Meyer  was  making  frequent 
excursions  to  New  York  and  Boston  and  many  cities 
at  a  greater  distance,  especially  for  the  purpose  of 
stimulating  sentiment  in  favour  of  the  reforms  he  was 
advocating,  notably  in  the  system  of  Parcel  Posts  and 
through  the  establishment  of  Postal  Savings -Banks. 
His  self-training  as  a  public  speaker  had  greatly  im 
proved  his  capacity  to  plead  a  cause  with  good  effect. 
His  speeches  in  general  were  arsenals  of  fact,  the 


POSTMASTER  GENERAL  387 

arguments  of  a  business  man  with  business  men.  He 
could  turn  to  good  account,  however,  the  American 
practice  of  illustrative  anecdote,  as,  for  example,  when 
he  likened  the  persistent  seekers  of  flaws  in  the  Postal 
Savings-Banks  project  to  an  old  librarian  who  looked 
carefully  through  a  book  returned  to  his  library,  and 
glaring  through  his  spectacles  said,  "  Page  89  —  a 
hole;  "  and  then,  turning  the  leaf,  added,  "  Page  90  — 
another  hole."  In  the  great  mass  of  his  printed  ad 
dresses,  in  pamphlet  form  and  newspaper  files,  these 
lighter  bits  are  infrequent.  Whether  on  Department 
or  party  themes,  the  speeches  are  rather  the  serious, 
fact-fortified  considerations  of  the  subjects  in  hand. 

Early  in  April  of  1908  one  of  Meyer's  excursions 
took  him  to  Boston,  to  serve  as  chairman  of  the  Re 
publican  State  Convention.  The  diary  touches  upon 
his  reception  there  and  immediately  takes  the  reader 
back  to  Washington,  where  plans  for  the  next  presi 
dential  campaign  were  constantly  in  the  making. 

"  [  Boston]  April  9.  —  Find  Taft  sentiment  very 
strong  in  the  state.  Have  a  conference  at  my  office, 
Cabot  Lodge,  Eben  Draper,  Otis  Wardwell,  and 
Langtry,  representing  Murray  Crane.  Later  Lodge, 
Crane,  Draper,  and  Langtry  and  I  dine  at  the  Union 
Club.  They  leave  at  8,  to  attend  reception  at  the 
American  House. 

"  It  was  3  o'clock  A.M.  before  they  came  to  an 
understanding,  which  was  that,  while  it  was  acknowl 
edged  that  a  majority  of  the  delegates  of  the  Conven 
tion  favoured  the  nomination  of  Taft,  it  was  believed 
that  in  the  interests  of  harmony  it  was  advisable  not 


388  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

to   pass    any   instructions    or   resolutions    of   prefer 
ence. 

"  April  10.  —  Convention  met  at  10.30.  Mr.  Doty 
acted  as  temporary  chairman  and  called  the  organiza 
tion  to  order.  Later,  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
wait  on  me  and  escort  me  to  the  chair.  I  was  given 
an  enthusiastic  and  cordial  reception.  My  address 
took  about  40  minutes,  and  was  well  received. 

"  The  platform  followed,  which  was  read  by  Mr. 
Smith,  former  President  of  the  Senate.  I  was  sur 
prised  by  the  strong  endorsement  that  it  gave  me,  asso 
ciating  my  name  with  President  Roosevelt  in  the 
Peace  Conference  between  Russia  and  Japan,  and  up 
holding  the  policies  favoured  by  me  as  Postmaster 
General. 

"  Lodge  followed  in  an  able  speech,  and  the  Con 
vention  unanimously  endorsed  and  supported  the  re 
port  of  the  Committee  on  Resolutions. 

"  April  19.  —  Easter  Sunday.  The  President  tele 
phones  to  meet  him  for  a  ride  at  17th  Street,  4  o'clock, 
to  bring  any  member  of  my  family.  Sixteen  of  us 
in  all  —  Cabot  Lodge,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bacon,  Martha 
Bacon,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Austin  Wadsworth,  Ethel 
Roosevelt,  Del  Ames,  Phillips,  Fitzhugh  Lee,  Julia 
and  myself. 

'  The  President  started  off  in  a  canter  right 
through  Rock  Creek  Park,  until  Ethel  said,  'Pa,  if 
you  don't  walk,  some  of  the  horses  will  drop  dead.' 
It  was  a  long  but  lovely  ride  down  Sligo  Creek  and 
back  through  Soldiers'  Home.  The  party  got  sepa 
rated,  but  joined  again  on  the  other  side  of  Soldiers' 


1908}  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  389 

Home.  I  do  not  think  the  President  liked  it,  as  it 
is  etiquette  to  let  him  always  lead  the  way. 

"April  24-  —  Cabinet  meeting.  Taft  consulted 
the  President,  Root,  and  myself  about  his  trip  to 
Panama  in  order  to  straighten  matters  with  Colombia, 
etc.  The  President  asked  if  Bacon  could  not  go  in 
his  place,  but  Root  was  most  decided  that  it  would 
not  do.  I  suggested  that,  if  the  Associated  Press 
were  given  an  article  clearly  showing  the  necessity  of 
it,  and  if  it  would  only  require  about  three  weeks' 
time,  I  did  not  believe  it  would  hurt  his  candidacy. 

"April  28.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  Root  brought  up 
the  matter  of  diplomatic  uniforms,  on  account  of  a 
letter  which  he  had  received  from  Hill  as  to  what  he 
should  do  in  Berlin,  Tower  having  adopted  a  uniform 
of  his  own.  The  President  asked  me  what  I  had  done. 
I  related  that  in  Italy  I  had  worn  at  all  state  and 
official  functions,  no  matter  what  the  time  of  day,  an 
evening  suit.  On  arrival  I  had  requested  through  the 
proper  official  the  privilege  of  wearing  a  frock  coat 
on  the  occasion  of  my  audience  with  the  King,  but 
it  had  been  denied  by  the  prefet  of  the  palace.  In 
Russia,  when  I  arrived,  I  had  worn  an  evening  dress 
suit  at  my  first  audience  with  the  Emperor,  which 
was  at  noon,  and  the  same  with  all  the  other  members 
of  the  royal  family.  Later  I  heard  that  the  Emperor 
would  appreciate  it  if  I  should  continue  to  wear  a 
uniform  as  my  two  predecessors  had  done.  There 
fore  I  made  up  my  mind  to  do  so  in  the  future  with 
out  consulting  the  State  Department,  as  it  meant 
nothing  to  me,  and  it  was  important  to  make  a  good 


390  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

impression  and  overcome  prejudices,  in  order  to  ac 
complish  the  results  for  which  I  was  sent  there  by  the 
President.  The  law  prohibits  the  State  Department 
from  prescribing  a  uniform,  but  it  permits  each  am 
bassador  and  minister  to  wear  whatever  is  appropriate. 
I  added  that  if  Hill  now  took  to  wearing  a  dress  suit 
on  all  occasions,  they  would  think  that  he  was  trying 
to  show  how  much  better  he  knew  than  Tower,  and 
might  be  in  bad  taste  at  this  time.  The  President 
agreed  with  me,  and  instructed  Root  to  inform  Hill 
to  wear  whatever  he  thought  was  appropriate. 

"May  1.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  The  President  said 
it  is  evident  that  Congress  is  not  in  sympathy  with  the 
Administration  and  intends  to  do  nothing,  or  as  little 
as  possible.  This  will  make  it  hard  to  reelect  some 
of  them,  or  explain  Congress's  lack  of  action  on  the 
platform  this  autumn.  I  called  attention  to  the  fact 
that  the  Congressmen  were  taking  their  cue  from  the 
Speaker,  and  he  should  be  held  accountable  for  their 
omissions. 

ee  May  4'  —  Call  on  Senator  Carter  [of  Mon 
tana]  and  warn  him  about  the  attempt  that  may  be 
made  to  stop  a  vote  being  taken  on  the  Postal  Savings- 
Bank  Bill,  which  is  now  on  the  Senate  Calendar. 
Then  go  to  the  White  House  and  have  an  interview 
with  the  President  behind  closed  doors,  while  about 
50  people  are  kept  waiting,  including  Senators  and 
Representatives. 

"  The  President  is  to  send  for  Senator  Carter  to 
encourage  him  on  his  work  for  Postal  Savings.  The 
President  stated,  in  connection  with  his  work  as  Presi- 


1908}  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  391 

dent,  [that]  there  was  a  time  quite  lately  when  he  felt 
sorry  to  give  up,  but  that  he  was  quite  reconciled  and 
had  become  tremendously  interested  in  his  proposed 
African  trip.  He  should  let  his  son  have  his  freshman 
year  at  Harvard,  but  then  he  should  take  him  away 
to  go  into  Africa  with  him. 

"June  1.  —  Arrive  at  11.32  from  Philadelphia. 
Go  straight  to  the  White  House  to  see  the  President. 
.  .  .  Informed  me  that  Reid1  had  cabled  that  the 
present  Cabinet  were  very  anxious  to  announce  my 
decision  as  soon  as  possible,  and  that  Reid  wanted  it 
to  take  effect  July  4.  Informed  the  President  I  had 
been  waiting  for  Congress  to  adjourn,  and  that  I 
would  probably  send  a  cable  this  afternoon  to  Buxton, 
the  Postmaster  General  in  England. 

"  Five  P.M.  this  afternoon  cabled  the  P.M.G.,  Lon 
don,  that  we  would  adopt  two-cent  an  ounce  postage 
with  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  to  take  effect  Octo 
ber  1.  This,  I  believe,  will  lead  to  closer  relations 
commercially  and  otherwise.  I  telephoned  Ambas 
sador  Bryce  at  7  P.M.  of  my  message  to  Buxton. 

fc  June  2.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  Taft  rather  de 
pressed  to-day  because  the  papers  have  been  jumping 
on  him  for  having  referred  to  General  Grant  as  having 
overcome  the  tendency  to  drink  hard.  I  do  not  think 
it  will  do  any  harm,  and  told  him  so. 

"  We  got  into  a  general  debate  as  to  the  future  of 
the  negro,  and  how  little  was  open  to  him.  The  Presi 
dent  spoke  of  the  bitter  feeling  that  must  come  to  them 

i  Whitelaw  Reid,  Ambassador  to  Great  Britain :  the  subject  of  his 
message  was  the  agreement  which  Meyer  had  been  negotiating  for  two- 
cent  postage  to  England. 


392  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

as  they  realized  how  they  were  handicapped,  no  matter 
what  their  ability  might  be. 

"Received  a  cable  from  Sydney  Buxton  saying 
that  he  should  announce  penny  postage  with  the 
United  States  to-morrow  at  4  P.M.  in  the  House  of 
Commons. 

ff  June  3.  —  I  announced  through  the  press  this 
afternoon  that  two-cent  letter  postage  had  been  ar 
ranged  with  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  to  take  effect 
October  1,  1908. 

"  This  afternoon  received  a  cable  from  Sydney 
Buxton  that  the  announcement  of  penny  postage  with 
the  U.  S.  had  been  received  with  applause. 

"  June  4»  —  The  papers  have  spoken  favourably 
of  the  two-cent  postage  to  be  established  with  Eng 
land.  Many  congratulatory  letters,  one  very  nice  one 
from  Mr.  James,  former  Postmaster  General,  and 
another  from  Lyman  Abbott  of  the  Outlook" 

As  the  Republican  National  Convention,  which 
nominated  Mr.  Taft  for  the  Presidency,  drew  near, 
the  newspapers  contained  many  rumours  that  the  con 
duct  of  the  campaign  was  to  be  committed  to  Mr. 
Meyer.  His  characteristic  dealing  with  this  matter 
formed  the  subject  of  the  following  portion  of  a  letter 
to  Mrs.  Meyer,  who  had  gone  to  Europe  with  her 
daughters,  for  a  cure  for  one  of  them  at  Kissingen, 
early  in  May:  — 

.  .  .  Last  evening  I  went  out  to  see  the  President  on 
account  of  an  article  which  appeared  in  the  Washington  Times. 


19081  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  393 

The  statement  was  made  that  I  was  to  be  Chairman  of  the 
National  Committee  and  run  the  campaign,  and  then  next  year 
I  was  going  to  reenter  the  Cabinet  and  become  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury.  There  had  been  rumours  coming  to  me  from 
different  newspaper  men,  and  so  I  thought  it  was  just  as  well 
to  run  the  matter  down  and  stop  it  if  possible.  So  I  went  up  to 
see  Loeb,  and  he  finally  acknowledged  that  he  had  told  Taft 
that  he  thought  that  I  would  be  the  best  man  to  run  his  cam 
paign  for  him,  and  intimated  to  me  the  President  had  said  the 
same.  So  after  dinner,  having  an  appointment  at  the  White 
House,  I  consulted  the  President,  and  found  that  he  had  told 
Taft  this:  that  if  he  were  running  again  for  President,  he 
should  want  me,  of  all  men,  to  manage  the  campaign  for  him, 
for  numerous  reasons,  which  it  is  unnecessary  for  me  now  to 
enumerate.  I  told  the  President  that  in  my  judgment  it  would 
be  a  political  mistake.  There  had  been  talk  that  the  Post 
Office  had  been  used  for  political  purposes  for  Taft's  nomina 
tion  ;  and  now  if,  on  top  of  that,  having  made  Hitchcock  man 
ager  before  the  Convention,  I  should  resign  from  his  Cabinet 
and  go  in  and  take  the  Chairmanship  and  run  the  campaign 
with  Hitchcock  as  an  assistant,  it  would  be  impossible  to  make 
the  public  believe  that  we  had  not  been  using  the  Post-Office 
Department  all  along ;  also  that  I  felt  that  the  work  I  had  been 
putting  in  on  postal  savings-banks  and  parcel  post  would  be 
lost  if  I  went  out  of  the  Cabinet  at  this  time,  and  that  there  was 
a  very  good  chance  of  putting  it  through  the  Senate  next  De 
cember,  and  that  the  sentiment  was  now  changing  in  the  House 
favourably  to  these  measures.  With  additional  work  I  felt  I 
could  probably  get  the  postal-savings  bank  bill  through  and 
get  something  done  in  the  way  of  a  local  parcel  post  on  rural 
routes  —  that  I  was  very  anxious  to  accomplish  this  during 
his  Administration.  With  a  new  man  in  the  Post  Office,  who 
would  have  to  play  second  fiddle  to  my  views  and  would  prob- 


394  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

ably  not  take  interest  in  these  measures,  the  matters  would  go 
by  default ;  that  I  considered  the  postal  savings-banks  the  most 
important  possible  legislation  at  the  present  time  that  had  not 
been  enacted,  in  which  he  agreed  with  me.  He  said  that  he  had 
not  looked  at  it  from  all  those  points  of  view,  and  felt  there 
was  a  good  deal  in  what  I  said ;  that  of  course  it  was  not  for 
him  to  decide  who  should  be  Chairman,  and  that  he  had  merely 
stated  to  Taft  his  feelings,  as  he  felt  very  strongly  the  impor 
tance  of  the  choice  of  the  man.  I  am  to  dine  with  the  Swiss 
Minister  on  Saturday  night.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Taft  are  to  be 
present,  and  I  shall,  if  he  is  not  too  tired,  go  over  the  whole 
matter,  later  in  the  evening.  Having  turned  cold  water  on  it, 
I  want  to  play  the  hose  on  the  scheme  as  well. 

Three  days  later  the  diary  records  a  close  match 
of  doubles  at  tennis  on  the  White  House  grounds,  and 
proceeds : — 

"June  8. —  ...  The  President  asked  me  to 
come  back  at  9.30,  to  meet  Taft  and  himself  and  go 
over  the  platform.  At  9.30  Taft,  Ellis,  who  had  written 
the  rough  draft,  and  myself  met  the  President  in  his 
library.  Taft  read  aloud  the  manuscript  and  the  Presi 
dent  made  suggestions  or  slight  changes.  He  compli 
mented  Ellis  on  the  form  and  language.  I  was  much 
pleased  to  find  that  both  the  President  and  Taft  were 
decided  to  have  Postal  Savings  in  the  Platform. 

:{ We  worked  until  midnight  perfecting.  The 
President  was  very  humorous  at  times." 

In  view  of  the  part  that  submarines  have  recently 
played  in  the  affairs  of  the  world  a  portion  of  the 
extracts  from  the  following  letter,  written  less  than 


19081  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  395 

ten  years  before  the  United  States  entered  the  Eu 
ropean  war,  possesses  an  interest  historic  in  its  sig 
nificance:  — 

To  Mrs.  Meyer 

WASHINGTON,  June  15,  1908. 

I  was  unable  to  get  a  letter  off  to  you  on  the  Saturday 
steamer,  for  the  reason  that  I  went  away  unexpectedly  on  the 
Mayflower,  with  Taft  and  Metcalf,  on  Friday  afternoon  at 
four  o'clock,  down  the  Potomac  as  far  as  Norfolk,  where  we 
arrived  early  the  next  morning  and  were  present  at  the  attack 
on  the  Florida  with  a  torpedo  —  the  most  powerful  one  that 
has  been  made  up  to  the  present  ame.  The  object  of  the  experi 
ment  was  to  demonstrate  that,  if  the  compartments  on  a  battle 
ship  were  properly  constructed,  the  ship  could  not  be  sunk. 
The  officials  were  so  confident  as  to  the  result  of  the  torpedo 
attack  that  thirty  men  and  officers  remained  on  board  the 
Florida.  When  the  torpedo  struck  the  Florida,  it  threw  a 
volume  of  water  about  150  feet  in  the  air,  which  concealed  the 
ship  for  a  few  moments,  and  it  was  a  great  relief  to  see  the 
Monitor  still  floating  a  few  seconds  later,  although  she  had  a 
slight  list  to  starboard.  We  immediately  got  into  an  electric 
launch  and  went  on  board,  and  found  every  one  much  interested 
in  the  result,  with  only  water  in  the  compartment,  although  they 
said  the  shock  was  so  great  that  she  seemed  to  be  lifted  out  of 
the  water  after  the  concussion.  She  was  then  towed  to  the 
Norfolk  Navy  Yard  and  put  into  the  dry-dock,  and  there  we 
examined  the  results  and  found  a  hole  in  her,  under  the  armour 
belt-line,  sufficiently  large  to  put  the  brougham  into;  but  the 
other  compartments  were  not  injured.  This  is  the  first  experi 
ment  of  this  kind  that  has  ever  been  made,  and  they  have  only 
been  able  to  judge  what  the  effects  would  be  in  time  of  war.1 

i  Meyer  wrote  in  his  diary  for  June  13 :  "  The  experiment  will  remove 
much  dread  of  the  torpedo  which  now  exists/' 


396  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

This  attack  was  made  on  the  most  vulnerable  part  of  the  ship. 
In  the  afternoon  we  sailed  again  for  Washington,  arriving  here 
Sunday  morning  at  six  o'clock.  Each  of  us  had  an  aide  on 
board  —  General  Edwards  being  assigned  to  Mr.  Taft,  Lieu 
tenant-Commander  Clenin  Davis  to  Metcalf,  and  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Charley  MacCawley  to  me.  We  had  two  of  the  most 
beautiful  nights  I  ever  saw  on  the  water,  and  coming  back,  as 
it  was  rather  warm,  I  slept  on  deck.  .  .  . 

Our  last  Cabinet  meeting  is  to  come  this  week  Friday,  the 
President  leaving  Saturday,  the  20th,  for  Oyster  Bay.  I  ex 
pect  to  go  on  then  and  join  "  Bey  "  and  be  present  at  Com 
mencement,  and  arrange  with  him  to  sail  either  on  the  Maure- 
tania,  on  the  24th,  or  the  Touraine,  on  the  25th. 

I  think  I  have  fixed  it  now  so  they  will  not  make  me  chair 
man,  and  it  is  a  great  relief  to  me,  as  I  should  have  had  to  drop 
the  work  into  which  I  have  been  putting  so  much  time. 

The  new  fiscal  year  begins  on  the  first  of  July,  and  there 
will  be  a  number  of  matters  that  will  require  my  attention  that 
month,  and  I  do  not  feel  that  it  would  be  opportune,  for  many 
reasons,  for  me  to  leave  and  go  abroad  at  this  time.  Things 
might  happen  which  would  be  unfortunate  if  I  were  away.  My 
plan  is  to  go  up,  as  soon  as  "  Bey  "  sails,  to  the  Restigouche 
and  get  three  weeks  of  complete  rest  and  fishing,  and  then, 
later,  to  see  just  what  your  plans  are.  Taft  is  practically 
nominated,  and  the  only  interest  now  is  to  see  who  will  be  made 
Vice-President.  It  would  not  surprise  me  if  they  took  Fair 
banks  over  again,  although  no  one  has  been  definitely  decided 
upon  as  yet.1  The  fight  as  well  as  the  interest  at  present  is  on 
the  resolutions,  that  is,  the  platform,  and  the  President,  Taft, 
and  the  Cabinet  are  all  backing  me  up  in  my  efforts  to  have 
postal  savings-banks  and  parcel  post  made  two  of  the  important 
planks. 

*  James  S.  Sherman,  of  New  York,  was  nominated. 


1908}  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  397 

[Diary] 

ff  Jwie  16.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  Bonaparte,  Met- 
calf,  and  Garfield  absent. 

"  The  President,  speaking  of  very  moral  and  re 
ligious  people,  said  that  some  Catholics  and  strict 
Episcopalians  at  the  end  of  Lent  were  almost  impos 
sible,  having  fasted  to  such  an  extent  that  it  was  im 
possible  to  get  on  with  them.  If  he  were  picking  out 
a  husband  or  wife,  for  comfort's  sake,  he  would  rather 
have  them  a  little  less  moral. 

"  Signed  a  parcel-post  convention  with  the  Italian 
Ambassador.  While  I  was  American  Ambassador  at 
Rome  there  was  much  complaint  at  there  not  being  a 
parcel-post  arrangement  between  the  two  countries. 

"At  the  Cabinet  meeting  to-day  Straus  an 
nounced  that  Cleveland  was  very  ill,  in  fact  that  he 
had  pretty  much  lost  his  mind.  Root  remarked  that 
when  a  man  had  been  exerting  great  mental  force  and 
then  suddenly  stopped,  it  was  sure  to  happen;  Wilson 
added,  more  surely  kill  him.  This  amused  the  Presi 
dent  who  said,  '  I  suppose  it  is  about  time  then  to 
begin  the  obituaries  on  me.' ' 

For  the  next  few  days  Meyer's  diary  followed  the 
Republican  National  Convention  at  Chicago  in  some 
detail.  On  the  18th  there  was  a  note  of  rejoicing  that 
the  "  Postal  Savings  Bank  was  put  into  the  Repub 
lican  platform  and  the  platform  as  reported  by  the 
Committee  was  adopted  by  the  Convention  yesterday. 
This  is  a  defeat  for  Speaker  Cannon,  who  went  on  to 


398  GEORGE  YON  L.  MEYER 

Chicago  on  purpose  to  keep  it  out  of  the  platform." 

On  the  next  day  he  wrote  to  his  wife  in  Europe: 
"  As  you  will  have  seen  from  the  cabled  reports,  Taft 
was  nominated  on  the  first  ballot  and  the  nomina 
tion  was  made  unanimous.  We  were  all  pleased,  as 
there  was  a  little  nervousness  on  account  of  the  ex 
traordinary  applause  and  enthusiasm  for  Roosevelt 
the  day  before,  lasting  for  49  minutes;  but  fortunately 
that  expended  itself  on  that  day  and  the  programme 
was  carried  out  as  designed  and  intended."  In  the 
same  letter,  lamenting  his  inability  to  join  his  family 
abroad  "in  the  face  of  the  election,"  he  wrote  also: 
"It  is  trying  not  to  be  able  always  to  do  what  one 
wants,  but  somehow  or  other  those  unoccupied  creatures 
who  are  able  to  go  north,  south,  east,  or  west  at  their 
own  will  are  not  always  the  happiest." 

A  few  days  later  Meyer  wrote  in  his  diary :  — 

["Boston]  June  ^.  —  Horrors!  My  50th  birth 
day.  I  wonder  if  every  one  has  always  felt  as  I  do 
about  it.  All  youth  is  over,  though  Victor  Hugo 
says  it  is  the  youth  of  old  age. 

"  Ex-President  Cleveland  died  to-day,  seventy-one 
years  old. 

"  I  went  out  to  Commencement  to-day  —  very  hot, 
dull  and  depressing.  Saw  Choate  and  congratulated 
him  on  looking  so  well.  He  asked  me  what .  I  was 
going  to  be  next." 

On  the  next  day  there  was  a  characteristic  note: 
"  Twenty-third  anniversary  of  my  wedding.  The  best 
day  in  my  life  was  the  day  I  married  my  wife." 

What  he  was  "going  to  be  next"  remained  an 


1908]  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  399 

unsettled  question  for  some  months  after  Mr.  Taft's 
nomination.  Clearly  Meyer  could  not  become  "  one 
of  those  unoccupied  creatures  "  to  whom  he  had  re 
cently  alluded.  The  chairmanship  of  the  Republican 
National  Committee  remained  unfilled  until  early  in 
July.  On  July  2  Meyer  wrote  in  one  of  his  frequent 
letters  to  his  wife:  *  To-day  I  lunched  alone  with 
Taft  and  we  went  over  the  chairmanship  situation, 
which  is  still  in  a  snarl;  but  I  think  I  have  got  it  fixed 
so  that  I  shall  not  be  called  upon.  We  hope  to  solve 
it  within  a  day  or  two."  This  was  accomplished,  by 
the  choice  of  Mr.  Frank  Hitchcock,  in  the  following 
week,  at  a  conference  at  Hot  Springs,  Virginia,  to 
which  Mr.  Taft  summoned  Meyer  and  other  political 
advisers.  With  much  relief  Meyer  went  at  once  to 
the  Restigouche  for  the  salmon-fishing  from  which  he 
always  returned  in  better  trim  for  hard  work.  There 
was  plenty  of  it  ahead  in  connection  both  with  the 
campaign  and  with  the  conduct  of  his  Department. 
The  diary  recalls  many  interests  of  the  arduous  weeks 
following  his  return  to  the  United  States  early  in 
August. 

"August  9.  —  Write  Taft  telling  him  he  must 
expect  complaints  from  the  various  factions  through 
out  the  country  in  the  different  states  until  election 
day;  that  I  can  appreciate  how  irritating  it  is,  and 
that  it  is  therefore  all  the  more  important  that  he 
get  his  exercise  every  day,  in  order  to  be  in  good  con 
dition  to  withstand  the  aggravations  of  the  campaign. 

ff  August  19.  —  Leave  Boston  on  the  10  A.M.  train 
for  New  York  and  take  the  4.30  from  34th  Street 


400  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Ferry  for  Oyster  Bay.  The  train  had  attached  two 
parlour  cars,  which  were  used  as  club  cars  and  were 
supplied  with  newspapers,  card-tables  for  bridge,  and 
two  coloured  men  who  served  drinks.  I  found  some 
friends  on  board  and  was  much  refreshed  by  a  White 
Rock  lemonade.  Reached  Oyster  Bay  at  quarter  be 
fore  six,  where  the  President's  carriage  waited  for 
myself  and  L.  Frothingham. 

"  Mrs.  Roosevelt  and  the  President  had  just  re 
turned  from  a  sea-bath,  and  we  joined  them  in  a  cup 
of  tea.  I  proposed  having  a  swim  before  dinner,  and 
the  President  offered  to  walk  down  with  us  to  the 
beach.  When  we  got  there,  a  distance  of  about  a  half 
mile,  he  proposed  going  in  with  us  although  he  had 
been  in  the  water  only  an  hour  previous. 

"  I  found  it  difficult  to  keep  up  with  him  swimming 
out  to  the  raft,  and  on  the  way  home  he  brought  us 
back  by  a  longer  route  through  the  woods,  about  a 
mile.  I  think  the  idea  was  to  have  me  see  one  of  the 
big  oaks  on  the  place,  but  by  the  time  we  reached 
the  house  I  was  so  warm  that  I  had  to  take  a  shower- 
bath  before  dinner. 

"  At  dinner  all  the  family  were  present,  including 
Mrs.  Longworth  and  Miss  Ethel.  After  dinner  I 
sat  out  on  the  piazza  with  the  President.  Mrs.  Roose 
velt  retired  early  and  Alice  Longworth  and  the  boys 
played  bridge  whist.  The  President  told  me  of  his 
plans  and  arrangements  for  his  African  trip  immedi 
ately  following  his  retirement  from  Washington, 
March  4.  He  should  sail  about  the  15th  for  Naples, 
and  from  there  take  the  steamer  to  the  African  Coast, 


1908]  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  401 

arriving  at  Cairo  eleven  months  later.  Specimens 
would  be  collected  in  Africa  for  the  National  Museum, 
and  some  taxidermists  would  accompany  him  and 
Kermit.  Collier's  had  offered  him  for  his  trip 
$100,000,  but  he  declined  it  and  accepted  $50,000  from 
Scribner's.  ...  *  I  shall  only  tell  about  a  half-dozen 
men  my  plans  —  Root,  Taft,  Cabot,  and  yourself.' 
Then  he  added,  *  I  have  received  a  great  many  offers, 
but  finally  accepted  one  from  the  Outlook  to  write, 
whenever  I  wanted  to,  on  public  and  political  ques 
tions.  This  does  not  refer  to  any  books  that  I  may 
publish  on  other  subjects.' 

"  The  President  then  asked  me,  if  he  went  to 
Rome  would  he  have  to  have  an  audience  with  the 
King  and  the  Pope.  I  assured  him  he  would  not  be 
able  to  avoid  them,  and  that  he  would  enjoy  talking 
with  the  King.  The  Pope,  whom  he  would  also  have 
to  see,  only  spoke  Italian.  His  desire  was  to  do  in 
each  country  what  was  proper  and  dignified,  but  he 
wanted  to  avoid  official  ceremonies  and  public  recogni 
tion  at  banquets,  etc.,  in  every  possible  way.  '  In 
England,'  he  added,  *  there  is  a  real  reason  for  my 
stopping  there,  as  Lord  Curzon,  the  Chancellor  of 
Oxford,  has  invited  me  to  make  an  address,  and  they 
are  to  confer  upon  me  the  highest  honorary  degree.' 

"  Next  morning  we  played  tennis,  the  President 
and  I  against  Teddy  and  Kermit.  We  won,  and  then 
changed  sides.  At  lunch  there  was  present  a  number 
of  New  York  State  politicians  who  had  come  down 
to  consult  the  President  about  the  Governorship. 

"August  22.  —  Arrived  in  Washington  yesterday 


402  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

morning  early.  Worked  at  the  Department  until  7 
P.M.  Left  at  11.10  P.M.  for  Hot  Springs,  Va.  Ar 
rived  at  8.30  A.M. 

"  Taft  and  I  went  out  at  10.15  to  play  golf.  Of 
course  we  did  a  lot  of  talking  politics  between  the 
holes.  He  is  in  splendid  shape  and  looks  fine,  even 
if  he  does  weigh  300  Ibs.  .  .  .  We  tied  9  holes  and 
our  score  was  91  to  92.  I  won  1  up  in  holes  as  well 
as  in  medal  play. 

"  We  were  to  have  ridden  at  5  o'clock,  but  a  heavy 
thunder  shower  prevented.  So  instead  we  talked  and 
planned  in  his  room  about  the  campaign  until  dinner 
time. 

"  August  24.  —  Played  golf  with  Taft  in  the 
morning;  again  won  1  hole  up,  but  my  score  was  89 
and  his  94.  He  was  off  his  game. 

"  In  the  afternoon  went  to  ride  with  Taft  and  John 
Warrington  of  Ohio.  He  was  under  Sheridan  in  the 
war,  and  he  related  some  most  interesting  anecdotes 
about  the  famous  general.  Warrington  claims  that 
Sheridan  had  real  genius. 

"  Got  home  just  in  time  to  have  dinner  and  catch 
the  8.00  P.M.  express  for  Washington. 

"  Taft  was  most  cordial  and  said  he  was  very  glad 
that  I  came  down,  and  asked  me  to  continue  to  write 
him. 

"September  22.  —  President  Roosevelt  gives  an 
interview  in  the  press  in  which  he  publishes  Taft's 
letter  showing  that  last  winter  he  refused  to  compro 
mise  with  Foraker  and  thus  go  back  on  his  principles. 
President  urges  Taft  as  the  fitting  man  to  be  elected, 


19081  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  403 

on  account  of  his  integrity  and  experience;  points  to 
Governor  Haskell  of  Oklahoma  and  his  connections 
with  the  Standard  Oil  —  its  methods. 

:<  The  President  arrives  in  Washington  at  5.55;  met 
by  his  Cabinet.  I  complimented  the  President  on  his 
Napoleonic  move  in  the  press.  Replied  that  he 
thought  he  would  hit  Bryan  hard  and  stir  up  the 
campaign. 

"  Bryan  sends  a  telegram  to  the  President,  de 
manding  proof  of  Governor  Haskell's  connection  with 
the  Standard  Oil,  etc.  Campaign  is  now  getting  inter 
esting  —  apathy  disappeared. 

"  September  23.  —  President  sends  for  me  to  hear 
his  reply  to  Bryan's  telegram.  Stay  there  from  10.30 
to  12  o'clock,  and  he  desires  Garfield  and  myself  to 
return  at  3  o'clock  and  meet  him  in  his  study  in  the 
White  House,  in  ord£r  to  review  it  in  its  final  form. 

"  In  the  afternoon  Secretary  of  War  Wright  was 
also  present.  I  got  the  President  to  change  the  last 
paragraph,  which  rather  implied  that  some  dishonest 
men  of  affairs  or  unscrupulous  corporations  would  be 
found  to  be  on  Bryan's  side  in  this  election,  etc.  He 
agreed  to  leave  it  all  out.  The  article  is  clear  and 
powerful,  and  will  convict  Haskell  in  the  public  mind. 
Did  not  leave  the  White  House  until  7  P.M.  The 
article  given  to  the  press  at  7.45  P.M. 

fe  September  24.  —  The  President  invited  me  to  go 
to  the  theatre  to  see  '  The  Gentleman  from  Missis 
sippi,'  and  dine  beforehand  at  the  White  House.  At 
dinner  —  General  Young,  Miss  Hagner,  Captain  Butt 
—  six  in  all,  including  Mrs.  Roosevelt  and  myself. 


404  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

"  The  play  was  at  the  National  Theatre.  The  plot 
laid  in  Washington  and  represents  new  Socialist 
Senator  from  Mississippi  beset  hy  temptation  and 
graft,  etc.  Some  of  the  scenes  amused  the  President 
and  appealed  to  him  just  at  this  time,  after  the  expose 
of  Senator  Foraker. 

"September  25.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  All  present 
with  the  exception  of  Root. 

"  The  general  consensus  of  opinion  was  that  the 
President's  answer  to  Bryan's  telegram  was  dignified 
and  conclusive.  It  will  probably  result  in  Governor 
Haskell  being  obliged  to  resign  from  the  treasurership 
of  the  Democratic  Committee,  as  the  President  has 
demonstrated  his  moral  and  political  unfitness  to  hold 
any  political  office. 

"  September  26.  —  Stopped  in  at  the  White  House 
this  morning  at  10  A.M.  President  had  not  come  to 
the  office.  I  wanted  to  make  an  engagement  for  Percy 
Haughton  and  Captain  Burr  of  the  [Harvard]  Foot 
ball  Eleven.  At  10.15  the  President  said  he  would 
see  them  gladly  at  12  o'clock.  At  that  hour  he  was 
in  the  middle  of  an  article  that  he  was  preparing,  to 
answer  Bryan  and  Haskell  concerning  the  granting 
of  permits  to  oil  companies  in  Indian  Territory.  He 
stopped  and  greeted  the  young  men  in  the  most  hearty 
manner,  wished  that  Ted  had  been  heavy  enough  to 
have  played  on  the  eleven.  Haughton  wants  Lieut. 
Graves  for  a  short  time,  to  coach  the  eleven  at  Cam 
bridge.  The  President  asked  me  to  take  them  to  Sec 
retary  Wright,  Secretary  of  War,  and  wrote,  *  If  you 
can  do  this  properly  I  should  like  it.  I  was  a  Harvard 


1908}  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  405 

man  before  I  was  a  politician.'  The  President  asked 
me  to  come  back  at  3  o'clock  in  order  to  read  what 
he  had  prepared  for  the  press.  Just  as  I  was  leaving 
the  actors  of  '  The  Gentleman  from  Mississippi '  came 
in  to  be  presented.  The  President  assured  them  that 
he  had  enjoyed  the  play,  which  represents  political  life 
and  corruption  in  politics.  Ten  years  ago  I  would  not 
believe  such  corruption  possible,  but  now  I  might  be 
lieve  it. 

"  At  three  o'clock  I  read  over  the  President's  state 
ment,  which  is  very  strong  and  pointed.  Advised  not 
publishing  it  until  Monday,  which  was  finally  decided 
upon,  as  it  was  reported  that  Bryan  would  publish  his 
answer  Sunday. 

ff  September  27.  —  Bryan's  answer  appears  in  the 
morning  papers.  .  .  .  Receive  word  from  the  White 
House  to  come  there  at  3  P.M.  At  that  hour  I  found 
Abbott  of  the  Outlook,  Cortelyou,  and  Straus  al 
ready  assembled.  The  President  dictated  in  our 
presence  his  reply  to  Bryan.  It  is  interesting  to  see 
his  brain  work  as  he  walks  up  and  down  the  room,  and 
the  rapid  changes  of  expression  in  his  face  as  the 
thoughts  develop  into  words.  His  vigour,  earnestness, 
and  sincerity  make  themselves  evident  in  every  move 
ment,  and  he  thoroughly  enjoys  the  effort  and  action 
in  his  work  which  would  be  a  nervous  strain  to  most 
men.  As  we  were  doubtful  about  the  last  two  pages 
and  his  references  to  Bryan  and  the  result  of  his  poli 
cies,  at  6  o'clock  he  asked  us  to  return  at  9,  when  he 
would  have  it  rewritten.  I  had  Abbott  and  Roland 
[Cotton]  Smith  dine  with  me,  and  nine  o'clock  found 


406  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Abbott  and  myself  back  at  the  White  House.  Each 
was  given  a  page  and  then  passed  on  to  the  others  for 
such  criticism  as  we  saw  fit.  The  result  was  that  the 
President  destroyed  the  last  two  pages  and  condensed 
them  into  a  single  sentence  of  a  few  lines.  During 
the  evening,  when  Straus  criticized  certain  lines,  the 
President,  quick  as  a  flash,  said,  '  Remember  that  this 
is  a  poster,  not  an  etching.' 

"  September  29.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  Root  not  yet 
back  and  Garfield  absent. 

"  Discussed  the  general  situation  when  the  business 
of  the  meeting  was  over.  The  labour  vote  looks 
ominous,  and  it  is  very  difficult  to  get  money  sufficient 
to  run  the  campaign. 

"  As  I  was  leaving,  the  President  asked  me  to  go 
riding  with  him  at  4.30.  We  were  to  mount  our  horses 
at  17th  and  Park  Road.  During  our  ride  he  said, 
*  Of  course,  at  times  I  used  to  be  in  doubt  as  to 
whether  I  had  not  made  a  mistake  to  announce  that  I 
would  not  take  a  third  term,  and  even  regretted  it  at 
moments.  So  again  during  this  campaign  I  have  re 
gretted  that  I  have  refused  to  stump  and  attack 
Bryan's  policies;  but  Bryan's  telegram  gave  me  an 
opening  which  I  was  glad  to  seize  and  I  feel  relieved, 
but  I  do  not  think  I  will  say  any  more  to  him.'  Which 
I  feel  is  wise. 

"September  30.  —  The  President  announced  that, 
as  Bryan's  answer  is  a  personal  attack  on  him,  he  would 
not  reply. 

"  October  1.  —  Dine  with  the  President  and  Mrs. 
Roosevelt  at  the  White  House. 


1908]  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  407 

"  Two-cent  postage  went  into  effect  with  the  United 
Kingdom  of  Great  Britain,  as  agreed  between  myself 
and  Postmaster  General  Sydney  Buxton  last  summer. 
Very  favourably  commented  upon  by  the  press  in  gen 
eral.  The  New  York  City  Post  Office  prepared  for  it 
by  putting  on  an  extra  force." 

A  letter  written  two  days  later  in  London,  by 
J.  Henniker  Heaton,  M.P.,  who  in  1898  had  carried 
the  Imperial  Penny-Postage  Scheme  in  Parliament  and 
had  also  introduced  telegraph  money-orders  in  Eng 
land  and  parcel  post  to  France,  may  well  be  read  at  this 
point. 

From  J.  Henniker  Heaton,  M.P. 

CARLTON  CLUB,  13  October,  1908. 
MY  DEAR  POSTMASTER  GENERAL, — 

I  cannot  allow  the  first  steamer  carrying  letters  at  a 
penny-postage  rate  from  the  United  Kingdom  to  the  United 
States  to  depart  without  recording  my  heartfelt  thanks  to  you, 
for  your  splendid  action  in  brushing  aside  what  is  well  termed 
"  Red  Tape "  and  circumlocution,  and  declaring  boldly  for 
Penny  Postage  with  Great  Britain  and  Ireland. 

With  refreshing  candour,  unknown  to  diplomatists,  you 
wrote  to  me  a  year  and  three  months  ago  (July  17,  1907),  and 
simply  asked  to  be  privately  informed  of  the  views  of  the  Postal 
Authorities  in  this  Country  on  the  two-cent  postage  proposal, 
and  if  favourable  you  informed  me  that  you  would  at  once  pro 
ceed  to  England  to  settle  the  question. 

I  declare  my  conviction  that,  had  it  not  been  for  your 
prompt  action,  Anglo-American  penny  postage  would  not  have 
taken  place  for  ten  years.  This  note  is  written  in  no  sense  of 


408  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

condemning  any  one,  but  in  justice  to  you  and  to  show  that 
the  credit  is  yours. 

I  am  perfectly   certain  that  the  trade   and   good   feeling 
engendered  will  repay  you  tenfold. 
With  high  regards, 

Believe  me  yours  faithfully, 

J.  HENNIKEE  HEATON. 
THE  HON.  GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 

Postmaster  General. 

P.S.    I  shall  be  glad  if  you  will  allow  the  above  to  be  published. 

H.  H. 

The  recognition  to  which  this  friend  of  postal  reform 
in  England  gave  expression  came  also  from  many  other 
sources  of  intelligent  opinion.  Indeed  the  establish 
ment  of  transatlantic  two-cent  postage  was  an  event  of 
outstanding  significance  in  the  development  of  inter 
national  relations,  and  deserved  all  the  praise  it  called 
forth.  Like  the  majority  of  human  beings,  Meyer  was 
habitually  pleased  to  have  his  good  work  recognized. 
In  a  letter  of  praise  to  somebody  else  he  wrote,  while 
he  was  Postmaster  General:  "A  busy  man  can  afford 
occasionally  to  accept  a  little  well-earned  commenda 
tion;  "  and,  during  the  same  period,  he  made  the  frank 
avowal,  when  he  himself  was  highly  praised:  "  I  always 
did  like  molasses  much  better  than  vinegar." 

At  about  the  same  time  with  the  reduction  of  pos 
tage  to  and  from  Great  Britain  a  smaller  improvement 
in  the  postal  service  attracted  wide  attention.  This  was 
instituted  through  an  order  from  the  Postmaster-Gen 
eral  directing  postmasters  to  confer  with  the  school 
authorities  of  their  communities  about  the  practicability 


1908}  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  409 

of  giving  instruction  to  the  pupils  of  the  schools  in 
elementary  postal  matters.  The  lack  of  this  knowl 
edge,  in  the  simple  matter  of  addressing  letters,  had 
caused  more  than  three  million  pieces  of  mail  matter  to 
go  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office  during  the  preceding  year. 
Meyer's  instinct  of  the  practical  —  and  workable  —  led 
him  direct  to  the  public  schools  as  the  most  promising 
distributing  centre  for  the  information  he  wished  to 
spread.  Another  intensely  practical  order  —  of  which 
the  results  are  a  daily  blessing  to  automobilists  through 
out  the  land,  though  few  of  them  know  that  Meyer  is 
to  be  thanked  for  it  —  was  that  which  required  a  uni 
versal  display  of  signs  on  post  offices  indicating  the 
names  of  the  offices.  The  traveller  generally  knows  the 
name  of  the  city  in  which  he  happens  to  find  himself, 
but  as  one  is  now  whirled  from  smaller  place  to  place 
at  railroad  speed,  the  frequent  orientations  by  means  of 
post-office  signs  are  true  occasions  for  gratitude.  The 
list  of  more  technical  changes  in  postal  administration 
introduced  under  instructions  by  Mr.  Meyer  would  be 
more  germane  to  a  postal  report  than  to  a  biography. 
For  the  present  purpose  it  is  best  to  turn  again  to  the 
diary. 

"October  8.  —  The  President  told  me  he  enjoyed 
immensely  the  black  ducks  I  sent,1  but  ate  too  much. 
I  quoted  Franklin  — '  Eat  not  to  dullness,  drink  not 
to  elevation.'  He  said,  '  I  always  did  dislike  Frank 
lin's  sayings.' 

"  October  9.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  Wilson  and  Gar- 
field  absent. 

i  After  a  day's  shooting  on  Long  Island. 


410  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

"  The  President,  speaking  of  the  Balkan  troubles, 
said  he  hoped  that  Austria  would  hold  Bosnia  and 
Herzegovina;  that  he  distrusted  the  Servians  —  they 
were  a  set  of  cutthroats,  as  shown  by  the  manner  that 
they  murdered  their  King  and  Queen;  that  England's 
policy  with  Turkey,  and  ever  since  1872,  had  been 
error  and  had  bolstered  up  the  miserable  Turk. 

ff  October  13.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  There  was  con 
siderable  discussion  about  the  coming  election,  the  un 
popularity  of  Hughes  with  the  farmers,  railroad  men, 
and  horsemen  all  over  the  state.  This  would  also  hurt 
Taft,  because  the  straight  ticket  was  not  going  to  be 
voted.  Yet  he  will  run  very  much  ahead  of  Hughes. 
Then  again,  Ohio  is  not  looking  any  too  certain  on 
account  of  the  liquor  question,  the  negro,  and  labour. 
There  are  a  great  many  local  fights  going  on  in  the 
Republican  Party  in  many  states.  The  Democrats 
are  more  united  than  usual. 

€€  October  16.--  .  .  .  The  President  read  a  letter 
which  he  wanted  to  send  to  Governor  Haskell.  All 
the  Cabinet  advised  against  it.  Finally  Root  said,  if 
Haskell  wrote  the  President  officially,  it  should  be 
referred  to  the  State  Department  for  a  reply.  It  was 
so  referred. 

"  Then  the  President  read  a  letter  to  the  Cabinet, 
in  answer  to  a  clergyman  who  stated  that  there  were 
many  who  were  prejudiced  against  Taft  because  he  was 
a  Unitarian.  Again  the  Cabinet  felt  it  unwise  to  send 
the  letter.  Root  made  the  point  that  it  was  such  a 
personal  matter  that  Taft,  who  was  arriving  to-mor 
row,  should  see  it,  and  be  consulted  as  to  whether  he 


mtn  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  411 

desired  it  or  not.  This  was  agreed  to  by  the  President 
as  wise.  He  added,  '  If  it  was  in  my  own  case  and 
my  own  campaign,  I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt.' 

"  Sir  Rennell  and  Lady  Rodd  *  arrive  to-morrow 
morning  to  make  us  a  visit. 

"October  18. —  .  .  .  After  dinner  Rodd  and  I 
leave  for  the  White  House,  to  introduce  Rodd  to  the 
President  and  at  the  same  time  give  him  the  oppor 
tunity  to  see  Taft  again.  Gar  field  came  in  as  we 
were  entering,  and  upstairs  in  the  President's  study 
we  found  the  President,  Taft,  and  Wright.  Taft  re 
called  meeting  Rodd  in  Rome.  The  President  de 
lighted  Rodd  by  talking  about  his  books  and  showing 
his  familiarity  with  them.  We  stayed  until  after  eleven 
and  had  a  most  informal  and  delightful  evening.  Mr. 
Roosevelt  turned  to  Rodd,  and  asked  him  about  going 
to  Italy  and  England  and  merely  seeing  the  Kings 
informally  in  an  audience,  without  any  dinner  func 
tions,  saying  he  had  already  consulted  me.  Fortu 
nately  Rodd  assured  him,  as  I  had  done,  that  it  was 
quite  feasible.  Taft  chaffed  the  President  and  said, 
*  Wait  till  you  get  there.  Don't  imagine  that  you  are 
going  to  get  through  those  countries  as  if  you  were 
invisible;  you  may  avoid  "pink  teas,"  but  I  will  wait 
and  let  you  tell  me  about  it  all  when  you  return.  It 
will  be  nearer  my  idea  than  yours.' 

"  We  all  left  about  eleven  o'clock,  Taft  to  return 
to  his  private  car  and  proceed  in  the  morning  to 
Baltimore." 

i  Sir  Rennell  Rodd,  now  British  Ambassador  at  Rome,  was  First 
Secretary  to  the  British  Embassy  there,  during  Meyer's  Italian  Ambassa 
dor  ship. 


412  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Through  the  final  days  of  the  Taft  campaign 
Meyer,  like  other  members  of  the  Cabinet,  contributed 
his  personal  effort  to  his  colleague's  election,  and  made 
political  speeches  in  Ohio,  Maryland,  New  Jersey,  and 
Massachusetts.  Here  he  voted  on  November  3,  and 
had  the  satisfaction  of  telegraphing  the  President 
elect  his  heartiest  congratulations  when  the  day's  work 
was  done.  Some  passages  from  the  diary  will  suffice 
to  touch  upon  ensuing  events. 

"November  13.  —  Cabinet  meeting  very  short. 
After  the  meeting  every  Cabinet  member  stayed  to 
speak  with  the  President,  so  I  left,  intending  to  re 
turn  a  little  before  one.  At  one  o'clock  found  the 
President  alone,  when  he  told  me  that  Perkins  had 
informed  him  that  Senator  Aldrich  of  Rhode  Island 
had  said  that  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  make  me  Secre 
tary  of  the  Treasury,  as  I  could  not  get  along  with 
the  Western  senators.  The  President  told  Perkins 
that  I  understood  the  West  very  much  better  than 
Aldrich,  and  that  he  felt  that  I  was  peculiarly  fitted 
to  be  Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  This  is  to  assist 
Cortelyou,  and  at  the  same  time  it  would  please 
Aldrich  to  have  me  turned  down,  as  he  is  opposed  to 
Postal  Savings  Banks. 

"  I  played  tennis  in  the  afternoon  with  the  Presi 
dent,  Jusserand,  and  Winthrop. 

<f  November  28.  —  The  papers  announce  Hitch 
cock  is  to  be  Postmaster  General  in  the  next  Cabinet, 
and  it  appears  to  be  official.  I  have  been  mentioned 
for  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  which  the  President 
hopes  I  will  receive,  and  some  papers  have  said  that 


19081  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  413 

it  would  be  Secretary  of  State.  I  know  that  there  is 
no  chance  of  the  latter,  and  the  former,  while  at  one 
time  probable,  is  now  less  so  on  account  of  Hitchcock 
being  from  Massachusetts." 

On  the  last  day  of  November  the  following  note 
was  written:  "My  second  annual  report  is  published; 
shows  deficit  of  nearly  17  millions.  With  the  normal 
increase  and  without  the  9  millions'  raise  in  salaries, 
there  would  have  been  a  surplus  of  $2,000,000."  On 
December  1  Meyer  wrote:  "Recommend  to  the  Presi 
dent,  which  he  agrees  to,  signing  an  executive  order 
putting  all  Fourth  Class  Postmasters  on  the  Civil 
Service  list  in  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont, 
Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  New  York, 
New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Michi 
gan,  and  Wisconsin.  The  Congressmen  will  kick  in 
some  instances,  but  it  will  be  better  for  the  service." 

Notes  on  the  probable  make-up  of  Mr.  Taft's 
Cabinet  follow  from  time  to  time:  on  December  18, 
for  example,  "  Taft  told  the  President  that  I  was  just 
the  man  that  he  wanted  for  Secretary  of  the  Navy; " 
and,  on  January  4,  "  The  President  wrote  to  Taft 
thanking  him  for  his  decision  [reported  by  Senator 
Lodge]  and  saying  that  he  was  glad  it  was  decided 
about  me."  The  uncertainty  on  this  point,  however, 
was  not  definitely  removed  until  mid-February.  Mr. 
Taft  himself  has  more  recently  said  that  the  personal 
knowledge  of  Meyer's  ability  which  he  acquired  while 
they  were  fellow-members  of  the  Roosevelt  cabinet  had 
shown  him,  without  the  need  of  further  proof,  that 


414  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Meyer  should  be  chosen  to  direct  the  Navy  Depart 
ment  in  his  administration. 

A  few  more  glimpses  of  the  Cabinet  and  Wash 
ington  in  the  final  days  of  President  Roosevelt's  term 
must  close  the  chapter. 

"January  12,  1909.  —  Cabinet  meeting  and  offi 
cial  dinner. 

"  Root  explained  about  the  treaties  which  he  had 
just  completed  with  Colombia,  the  Republic  of  Pan 
ama,  and  the  United  States;  also  an  important  treaty 
with  Canada  concerning  the  waterways,  etc.  Root 
seemed  pleased  and  gratified  with  the  result.  He  has 
been  quite  concerned  that  he  would  go  out  of  office 
without  making  a  settlement  between  Colombia, 
Panama,  and  the  United  States.  At  Cabinet  meet 
ing  some  one  spoke  of  the  Ananias  Club,  and  I  said 
that  there  was  quite  a  waiting  list  to  all  appearances; 
which  amused  Root  and  the  others.  The  President  did 
not  laugh  as  much  as  the  others. 

"January  19.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  All  present. 
Knox,  as  is  known,  will  be  the  new  Secretary  of  State, 
and  Root  was  yesterday  unanimously  named  in  the 
Republican  caucus  for  Senator  from  New  York.  The 
President  stated  that  a  Congressman  suggested  to 
him  that,  as  the  two  men  were  going  to  change  places, 
so  also  would  their  minds  and  sympathies  change  con 
cerning  the  executive  and  legislative  rights.  '  I  told 
him,  said  the  President,  '  that  within  six  months  that 
might  be  the  case  as  to  Knox,  but  that  if  I  knew  any 
thing,  it  would  not  apply  to  Root.' 

ff  January  26.  —  Cabinet  meeting.    Root  takes  his 


1909}  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  415 

leave  of  the  President,  and  after  the  meeting  says 
good-bye  to  his  colleagues.  He  reported  that,  after  a 
meeting  with  the  British  Ambassador,  the  Canadian 
representative,  and  the  Newfoundland  representative, 
lasting  from  12  noon  on  Sunday  until  midnight,  they 
agreed  upon  a  fisheries  treaty  agreeable  and  satisfac 
tory  to  all.  It  still  has  to  be  ratified  by  the  New 
foundland  Premier. 

"Root  finally  got  all  his  treaties  in  shape.  This 
is  the  beginning  of  the  breaking  up  of  the  Roosevelt 
Cabinet.  We  shall  miss  him  very  much  —  especially 
the  President. 

ff  January  31.  —  Give  a  dinner  to  the  German  Am 
bassador  and  Countess  Bernstorff.  Both  very  at- 
tractive;  will  be  a  great  addition  to  the  Diplomatic 
Corps.  Baron  Rosen,  the  Russian  Ambassador,  also 
a  guest.  I  think  he  is  disappointed  at  not  being  made 
Ambassador  to  Rome,  though  he  did  not  say  so. 
Iswolsky  has  named  Prince  Dolgorouky,  the  uncle  of 
Countess  Fersen.  I  used  to  meet  him  at  the  Grand 
Duke  Vladimir's  while  I  was  in  Russia.  Has  not  been 
in  the  career  for  ten  years,  and  his  last  post  was 
Persia. 

"February  2.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  The  President 
speaks  of  the  bills  in  the  California  legislature  intended 
to  discriminate  against  Japanese.  Feels  that  it  is 
serious  and  will  give  naturally  great  offense  to  Japan. 
Has  written  the  Governor  of  California  and  asked 
that  no  legislation  be  enacted  on  the  question  until  the 
receipt  of  his  letter.  Disgusted  with  California's 
short-sightedness.  Refers  to  's  remark,  '  when 


416  GEORGE  YON  L.  MEYER  [1909 

this  state  seceded.'  Regretted  it,  because  the  state  was 
too  small  to  become  a  nation,  and  too  large  to  put  into 
a  lunatic  asylum. 

"February  5.  —  At  Cabinet  meeting  to-day,  the 
President  spoke  of  the  seriousness  of  Nevada's  and 
California's  ill-advised  and  insulting  resolution  and 
legislation  to  the  Japanese  in  their  states.  He  thought 
it  fortunate  that  the  fleet  was  not  on  the  Pacific  Coast, 
as  we  could  never  explain  to  Japan  that  the  actions  of 
these  two  state  legislatures  had  not  been  with  the  ap 
proval  of  the  Federal  Government. 

"  The  President,  in  speaking  of  his  actions  while  in 
office,  mentioned  the  inviting  of  Booker  Washington 
to  a  meal  at  the  White  House  as  a  mistake  on  his  part; 
not  in  the  action  itself,  but  the  effect  on  the  South  was 
injurious  and  misinterpreted. 

"  Leave  on  the  one  o'clock  train  for  Philadelphia, 
to  attend  the  Bankers'  Dinner  and  make  an  address  on 
Postal  Savings  Banks. 

f(  February  6.  —  The  Bankers'  Dinner  last  night 
was  attended  by  over  600  guests,  and  the  galleries  were 
crowded  with  ladies.  I  had  to  make  the  opening  ad 
dress,  and  was  gratified  —  my  arguments  well  received 
and  favourably  commented  upon  by  some  of  the 
bankers.  The  speeches  continued  until  midnight. 
These  occasions  are  always  too  extended,  yet  the  eve 
ning  was  not  finished  —  more  food  and  supper  at  the 
Racquet  Club  for  a  few  of  the  selected  guests.  I  got 
away  at  1.30  A.M.  No  wonder  public  men  wear  out 
early  in  life  —  with  us. 

"Arrive  in  Washington  at  1  A.M.     Bishop  Law- 


1909}  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  417 

rence  and  Julia  Lawrence,  Endicott  Peabody  and  Mrs. 
Peabody  and  Amory  Lawrence  lunched  with  us. 

ff  February  9.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  The  President 
decides  to  veto  the  bill  which  removes  the  penalty  of 
loss  of  citizenship  for  desertion  in  time  of  peace  from 
the  Army  or  Navy.  He  is  furious  with  the  peace 
crowd,  who  do  not  want  to  keep  up  the  Navy  and 
say  we  will  not  have  war  anyway. 

"  Root  writes  me  from  Hot  Springs  that  he  is  get 
ting  on  beautifully ;  '  hope  to  find  you  in  the  Cabinet 
when  I  return,  with  your  decks  cleared  for  action  in 
another  Department,  a  Department  that  needs  the 
sound  business  sense  and  administrative  capacity 
which  you  have  exhibited.' 

'  The  papers  announce  that  under  the  Constitution 
Knox  is  not  eligible  for  the  Cabinet,  having  voted  for 
a  raise  in  salary  from  $8,000  to  $12,000  during  his 
term  as  Senator,  which  does  not  expire  until  1911. 
Comment  on  the  fact  that  two  such  eminent  jurists  as 
Taft  and  Knox  should  not  have  thought  of  this. 

"February  10.  —  Alice  and  the  girls  leave  for 
Boston,  where  they  will  remain  for  a  week. 

"  Dine  with  Senator  Crane,  the  Knoxes,  Clarks, 
Keans,  Foster,  Gallinger,  Mrs.  Slater,  etc.  All  Sen 
ators  but  myself,  with  the  exception  of  Beekman  Win- 
throp.  Knox  came  up  to  me  after  we  had  finished  our 
cigars  and  said,  '  You  are  the  ranking  man,  you  must 
make  the  move.'  I  replied,  '  I  am  looking  to  the  rising 
sun.'  He  answered,  £  I  am  looking  at  the  sun  that  is 
shining.'  Again,  when  we  were  leaving,  Knox  said 
to  his  wife,  who  was  talking  to  me,  '  I  suppose  you 


418  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER  *-1909 

have  told  all  the  secrets.  Did  you  tell  Meyer  that  he 
was  going  into  the  Cabinet? '  and  they  both  laughed. 

ff  February  16.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  Taft  arrived 
after  the  Cabinet  adjourned,  about  one  o'clock.  Every 
one  had  left  but  the  President  and  myself.  He  greeted 
me  as  *  Brother  Meyer.'  He  looked  brown  and  well. 

"  Meet  Carter  and  Aldrich  in  the  Finance  Com 
mittee  of  the  Senate,  and  we  agree  on  a  Postal-Sav- 
ings-Bank  bill.  This  would  appear  to  insure  its 
passage. 

"  The  President  telephoned  me  to  be  at  the  White 
House  at  6.30.  Found  the  President  and  Taft  both 
there,  fixing  up  the  message  to  Congress  on  the 
Panama  Canal,  which  is  to  remain  a  lock  canal.  Then 
the  President  turned  to  me  and  said,  '  I  asked  Mr. 
Taft  if  he  had  decided  on  his  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
and  he  said  "  Yes,  Meyer,"  and  he  has  consented  that 
I  may  talk  with  you  about  it  in  connection  with  the 
Naval  Policy.' 

"  After  Taft  left,  the  President  and  I  took  a  walk 
round  the  White  House  —  discussed  naval  affairs. 

"February  17.  —  Committee  on  Post  Office  and 
Post  Roads  report  favourably  on  a  trial  in  two 
counties  of  parcel  post  on  rural  routes.  It  is  attached 
to  the  appropriation  bill. 

"  Taft  telephones  me  to  meet  him  at  the  Union 
Station  at  3.30.  Get  there  just  as  he  is  getting  out  of 
his  automobile.  We  sit  down  on  a  bench  in  the  Union 
Station  and  the  secret  service  men  [form]  a  cordon 
about  us.  I  find  he  wants  me  to  consider  Beekman 
Winthrop  for  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  which 


19091  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  419 

is  agreeable  to  me.  He  tells  me  Hale  said  to  him  that 
a  resolution  would  be  introduced,  if  I  were  appointed 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  investigating  my  relations  with 
the  Fore  River  Engine  Co.  I  told  him  that  I  never 
owned  a  share  or  bond  in  my  life. 

ff  February  18.  —  Sent  a  cable  of  condolence  to  the 
Grand  Duchess  Vladimir  on  the  death  of  the  Grand 
Duke. 

"  Last  reception  of  President  Roosevelt  at  the 
White  House,  given  for  the  Army  and  Navy  —  very 
brilliant  affair.  Supper  lasted  later  than  usual,  did 
not  get  home  until  1  o'clock.  At  my  table  Mrs. 
Straus,  Mrs.  Grant  (born  Root),  Mrs.  Williams, 
Douglas  Robinson,  Mr.  Stickney,  and  Nicholas  Long- 
worth.  I  could  not  help  realizing  with  a  feeling  of 
sadness  that  this  was  the  last  function  of  the  Presi 
dent's  term  in  the  White  House.  His  achievements 
will  be  fully  appreciated  later  on,  when  the  nation 
realizes  his  courageous  attitude  against  certain  finan 
cial  powers,  which  had  corrupted  business  standards 
until  they  felt  that  with  their  money  they  were  more 
powerful  than  the  Government,  and  could  do  what 
they  might  want  to  do. 

(f  February  19.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  We  were  all 
photographed  by  a  flashlight  before  the  meeting.  The 
President  took  up  the  action  of  Congress  in  recom 
mending  that  half  the  fleet  should  be  stationed  in  the 
Pacific  and  the  other  half  in  the  Atlantic.  Was  most 
emphatic  in  his  views,  that,  while  there  was  any  chance 
of  having  trouble  with  Japan,  either  the  entire  fleet 
should  be  in  the  Atlantic  or  in  the  Pacific.  If  one 


420  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

half  were  there,  Japan  would  have  the  opportunity  of 
crippling  us  by  destroying  it  before  war  is  declared, 
as  she  did  with  Russia.  Until  we  can  have  a  suffi 
ciently  strong  fleet  for  all  purposes  in  both  the  At 
lantic  and  the  Pacific,  our  men-of-war  are  safer  on  the 
Atlantic  side. 

fe  March  1.  —  President  gives  a  lunch  to  his  '  Ten 
nis  Cabinet '  and  some  of  his  hunting  friends  at  the 
White  House. 

"A  most  unique  and  clever  afternoon  tea  given 
by  Mrs.  Garfield  to  the  President,  Mrs.  Roosevelt,  and 
the  Tennis  Cabinet.  A  miniature  tennis  court  on  the 
table,  with  Teddy  bears  playing  tennis.  Booker  Wash 
ington  and  a  Teddy  bear  having  tea  together  at  a  little 
table.  Secret  service  men  running  around  the  table 
with  lanterns  [?],  etc.,  all  very  clever. 

"  Those  present  were  the  Jusserands,  Bacons, 
Pinchots,  Winthrops,  Knox,  Smith,  and  Alice  and 
myself.  Jusserand  made  a  speech  of  presentation  of  a 
large  silver  bowl,  by  which  we  were  all  nearly  moved 
to  tears.  I  thought  Mrs.  Garfield  would  break  down. 
Some  one  asked  what  should  he  do  with  it.  I  sug 
gested  '  not  wash  his  hands  of  us,'  which  relieved  the 
situation. 

ff  March  2.  —  Final  Cabinet  meeting.  Mr.  Roose 
velt  said,  *  Before  we  take  up  any  business,  as  this  is 
our  last  meeting,  I  want  to  say  to  you  that  no  Presi 
dent  ever  received  more  loyal  support  from  his  official 
family  than  I  have  received.  The  work  that  you  have 
done  I  have  received  the  credit  for,  which  is  the  same 
in  the  Army  —  credit  must  go  to  the  general  in  com- 


1909]  POSTMASTER  GENERAL  421 

mand.  The  only  reward  you  receive  is  having  the 
knowledge  of  doing  your  work  well.  I  refuse  to  allow 
you  to  reply ; '  but  Garfield  said,  '  Whatever  we  have 
done  has  been  inspired  by  your  example.' 

"  Before  the  Cabinet  meeting  the  President  called 
me  to  his  desk  and  said,  *  George,  it  has  been  a  great 
comfort  having  you  in  the  Cabinet,  and  we  have  had 
a  good  time.  It  has  also  been  real  pleasure  to  Mrs. 
Roosevelt  seeing  so  much  of  your  wife.' ' 

On  the  following  day  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meyer  lunched 
at  the  White  House,  and  the  official  relations,  with 
which  so  much  of  true  friendship  had  been  mingled, 
came  to  an  end.  The  happy  and  arduous  two  years 
had  conspicuously  proved  Meyer's  capacity  for  val 
uable  administrative  work.  He  had  gained,  moreover, 
an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  workings  of  the  national 
government.  With  this  and  his  previous  acquisitions 
he  stood  uncommonly  qualified  to  serve  his  country  in 
the  new  labours  on  which  he  was  about  to  enter. 


VI 
SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY 

(1909-1913) 

IF  Meyer  brought  to  his  new  task  a  valuable  equip 
ment  of  capacity  and  experience,  it  is  no  less  true  that 
the  Navy  Department,  at  the  beginning  of  the  Taft 
administration,  stood  sorely  in  need  of  the  most  intelli 
gent  and  devoted  leadership  that  could  be  found  for 
it.  In  the  seven  years  of  President  Roosevelt's  admin 
istration  there  had  been  six  Secretaries  of  the  Navy. 
No  matter  how  able  each  and  all  of  these  Cabinet 
members  may  have  been,  no  one  of  them  held  his  post 
long  enough  either  to  acquire  a  grasp  of  its  many  and 
difficult  problems,  or  to  work  out  completely  his  own 
ideas,  of  whatever  merit,  for  the  improvement  of  the 
Navy.  Every  Secretary,  moreover,  must  accomplish 
the  larger  ends  he  has  in  view  —  since  appropriations 
are  indispensable  —  through  the  agency  of  Congress; 
and  it  is  easy  to  understand  that  the  House  and  Senate 
Committees  on  Naval  Affairs  may  well  have  grown 
weary  and  confused  by  so  rapid  a  succession  of  Secre 
taries,  each,  despite  the  fact  that  he  represented  a  single 
President  with  a  definite  and  vigorous  naval  policy  of 
his  own,  with  an  individual  method  of  putting  it  into 
effect.  Only  a  few  weeks  before  Meyer's  assumption 

422 


1909-msi     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       423 

of  the  post,  for  example,  his  immediate  predecessor, 
Mr.  Truman  H.  Newberry,  had  issued  an  order  radi 
cally  affecting  the  conduct  of  navy  yards  and  the 
relations  between  staff  and  line  officers.  The  order 
occasioned  great  dissatisfaction  in  many  quarters. 
How  to  deal  with  the  situation  it  created  was  but  one 
of  many  large  and  pressing  problems  with  which 
Meyer  found  himself  immediately  confronted.  The 
broad  policies  of  naval  administration  involved  a  scale 
and  range  of  thinking,  in  terms  both  national  and 
international,  which  the  Post  Office,  in  the  very  nature 
of  things,  could  not  impose.  Here,  then,  was  a  task, 
for  a  man  prepared  to  devote  himself  completely  to 
it  for  the  term  of  four  years,  calling  for  the  very  best 
he  had  to  give,  not  only  through  the  mastery  of  infinite 
detail  but  in  the  framing  of  far-reaching  plans  of  vital 
concern  to  the  nation  and  the  world. 

In  the  course  of  the  year  1909  Meyer's  entries  in 
the  diary  from  which  so  many  of  the  foregoing  pages 
have  been  drawn  became  less  regular,  and  before  the 
end  of  the  year  they  ceased.  From  this  time  forth 
there  must  accordingly  be  less  of  personal,  intimate 
record  than  during  any  of  his  previous  periods  of 
national  service.  It  is  surprising  enough  that  in  the 
crowded  life  Meyer  had  led  since  going  to  Italy  as 
Ambassador,  he  had  commanded  the  time  to  make  so 
J  full  a  chronicle  of  his  daily  experience.  It  is  not  sur 
prising  that  the  pressure  of  his  work  in  the  Navy  De 
partment,  together  with  the  unflagging  continuance 
of  his  participation  in  the  life  of  society,  brought  his 
practice  of  diary-keeping  to  an  end.  Yet  for  approxi- 


424  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

mately  the  first  half  year  there  are  entries  which  should 
be  included  in  this  book.  During  the  months  in  which 
they  were  written  Meyer  was  following  a  course  sim 
ilar  to  that  pursued  through  the  first  part  of  his  postal 
administration  —  namely,  learning  the  job.  With  few 
interruptions,  therefore,  the  more  illuminating  passages 
from  his  diary,  with  a  few  letters,  shall  be  given  at 
once.  Not  far  from  the  time  when  the  last  of  them 
was  written  his  plans  for  the  Department  were  well 
formulated.  Their  precise  nature,  and  the  results  of 
their  application,  will  be  considered  when  these 
passages  from  the  diary  shall  have  been  read. 

fe  March  4,  1909.  —  A  fearful  blizzard  snow-storm, 
trains  are  arriving  hours  late.  Some  of  the  troops 
have  not  arrived  at  all. 

"  President  and  President-elect  received,  in  the 
White  House,  Vice-President  and  Vice-President 
elect  and  the  Cabinet  of  President  Roosevelt.  At  a 
little  after  10  A.M.,  President  Roosevelt  and  President 
elect  Taft  drove  off  from  the  White  House  in  an  open 
landau  with  four  horses,  followed  by  the  Vice-Presi- 
dents  and  the  Cabinet.  Arriving  at  the  Capitol  about 
11  A.M.,  we  all  assembled  in  the  President's  Room, 
where  President  Roosevelt  signed  bills  until  ten  min 
utes  before  twelve,  consulting  his  individual  Cabinet 
officers  as  to  the  bills  which  affected  their  depart 
ments.  The  Cabinet  then  took  their  seats  in  the  Sen 
ate  on  one  side  of  the  Chamber,  adjoining  the  Diplo 
matic  Corps.  The  members  of  the  Supreme  Bench 
were  in  seats  opposite  the  Diplomatic  Corps.  The 
galleries  were  full  of  ladies,  Mrs.  Taft  in  the  front 


1909-1913}     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       425 

row,  and  Alice  a  few  seats  from  her  in  the  same  row. 
The  Vice-President  was  then  announced  and  given  the 
oath  of  office  by  the  out-going  Vice-President  (Fair 
banks).  Then  President-elect  Taft  was  led  to  the 
chair  by  Senator  Lodge,  and  the  oath  administered  by 
Chief  Justice  Fuller,  who  is  so  old  that  he  did  not 
quote  a  part  of  the  oath  correctly. 

"The  President  (Taft)  then  read  his  inaugural  in 
the  Senate  Chamber  instead  of  [on]  the  Capitol  steps, 
on  account  of  the  blizzard  storm.  It  lasted  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour.  It  was  rather  trying  for  Theo 
dore  Roosevelt  to  sit  in  the  chair  in  front  of  the  Presi 
dent's  desk,  facing  all  the  Senators  during  the  reading. 
As  soon  as  it  was  completed,  T.  R.  went  up  to  Mr. 
Taft  and  congratulated  him,  and  then  went  out  the 
side  door  followed  by  his  Cabinet.  From  the  Capitol 
he  drove  to  the  station,  escorted  by  a  delegation  of 
1000  men  that  had  come  on  from  New  York  for  that 
purpose.  In  the  President's  room  Roosevelt  received 
his  friends  and  bade  them  farewell,  to  the  great  sorrow 
of  all  of  us. 

*  To  my  surprise  Alice  never  appeared  at  the 
station  until  2.30,  and  then  I  found  she  had  been  un 
able  to  find  the  auto  and  she  and  Secretary  Wright 
had  walked  from  the  Capitol  to  the  Union  Station  in 
all  the  snow  and  mud  in  order  to  be  able  to  say  good 
bye  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roosevelt.  We  arrived  at  the 
White  House  in  time  to  get  a  little  lunch  and  then  go 
out  on  the  Presidential  stand  where  the  President  was 
reviewing  the  procession.  The  best  showing  was  made 
by  the  West  Point  Cadets;  the  Naval  Cadets  never 


426  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER       um-ms 

reaching  Washington  on  account  of  the  storm.  After 
Governor  Draper  of  Massachusetts,  with  an  escort 
of  3000  troops,  passed  by,  Cabot  Lodge  and  I  walked 
home  to  his  house,  where  we  had  tea  with  Mrs.  Lodge 
and  Dr.  Bigelow,  and  also  had  a  heart-to-heart  talk 
about  the  President  that  was  leaving  Washington  be 
hind  him,  the  hole  that  it  made,  and  the  changed 
atmosphere  as  far  as  we  were  concerned. 

"  In  the  evening  the  girls,  Alice,  and  I  attended 
the  Inauguration  Ball  at  the  Pension  Building.  I  was 
very  agreeably  disappointed,  and  it  was  quite  an  inter 
esting  sight.  We  were  leaving  at  10  o'clock  when 
Captain  Butt1  informed  us  that  we  were  expected  at 
the  President's  table  at  supper.  There  were  six  tables 
in  all;  at  President  Taft's,  Mrs.  Taft,  Charley  Taft, 
Vice-President  Sherman,  Mrs.  Sherman,  Mrs.  Bacon, 
Miss  Boardman,  and  myself.  We  got  home  before 
twelve. 

ff  March  6.  —  The  Cabinet,  with  the  exception  of 
MacVeagh 2  and  Dickinson,3  take  the  oath  of  office  in 
the  presence  of  the  President  at  the  White  House,  the 
oath  administered  by  Chief  Justice  Fuller. 

"  March  9.  —  First  Cabinet  Meeting.  All  present 
but  Dickinson.  Secretary  Wright  continued  to  fill  his 
place. 

"  It  seemed  like  a  dream  at  first,  with  Taft  in  Roose 
velt's  chair,  with  Knox4  on  his  right  and  MacVeagh 
on  his  left.  There  was  quite  a  judicial  air  to  the  whole 

1  Captain  Archibald  W.  Butt,  U.  S.  A.,  military  aide  to  President 
Taft;  drowned  on  the  Titanic  in  1912. 

2  Franklin  MacVeagh,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 

3  Jacob  M.  Dickinson,  Secretary  of  War. 

*  Philander  C.  Knox,  Secretary  of  State. 


1909-19W     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       427 

meeting.  I  was  favourably  impressed  with  Wicker- 
sham  as  Attorney  General.  He  expresses  an  opinion 
in  a  concise  and  emphatic  manner. 

ff  March  10.  —  Have  asked  an  opinion  of  the  At 
torney  General  as  to  the  constitutionality  of  Congress 
having  instructed  that  eight  per  cent  of  the  comple 
ment  on  men-of-war  vessels  shall  be  marines. 

"  Went  to  ride  with  Lodge,  and  then  called  on  the 
President  by  appointment  at  7.15.  He  came  down  to 
the  Red  Room  in  evening  dress  (with  smoking  coat). 
Seemed  in  good  spirits;  is  rather  concerned  about  his 
expenses,  since  Congress  cut  off  his  travelling  fund. 
He  told  me,  if  they  do  not  restore  it,  that  he  will  prac 
tically  do  none. 

"  Went  over  the  marine  matter ;  he  advises  doing 
as  Congress  instructed  until  the  Attorney  General 
gives  an  opinion. 

f(  March  12.  —  Cabinet  Meeting.  We  discussed 
the  troubles  in  Central  America.  The  Navy  Depart 
ment  has  placed  its  vessels  on  each  coast  at  the  only 
sea-ports  in  such  a  way  as  to  prevent  Nicaragua  from 
attacking  San  Salvador.  Our  Navy  is  much  respected 
in  South  America  since  the  voyage  of  the  fleet. 

:<  The  question  of  Speakership  and  what  the  in 
surgents  combining  with  the  Democrats  will  be  able 
to  accomplish.  It  is  very  close,  but  the  administration 
having  taken  a  hand,  Cannon  will  be  reflected.  What 
action  will  be  taken  as  to  this  cannot  be  known  until 
after  Congress  assembles. 

"March  16.  —  At  Cabinet  meeting  to-day  the  Sec 
retary  of  State  read  a  paper  which  defined  our  policy; 


428  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER        W09-i9is 

in  Central  America  in  the  future  —  all  action  to  be  in 
conjunction  with  Mexico.  It  ensures  the  neutrality 
of  Honduras  and  contemplates  establishing  its  credit 
by  their  suggesting  that  we  put  in  a  financial  agent 
such  as  we  furnished  to  San  Domingo. 

"  Much  tact  and  diplomacy  has  got  to  be  exercised 
in  order  to  accomplish  results  and  prevent  armed  in 
terference  on  our  part.  President  Taft  endorsed  the 
Secretary  Knox  action,  and  said  he  would  even  make 
a  show  of  force  in  order  to  maintain  peace  and  stop 
revolutions. 

<e  March  20.  —  Went  down  to  Oyster  Bay  to  lunch 
with  Ex-President  Roosevelt  and  Mrs.  Roosevelt. 
Lovely  day,  so  I  walked  from  the  station  to  Sagamore 
Hill.  Took  me  just  an  hour. 

{  Theodore  came  to  the  door  himself  and  greeted 
me.  '  Well,  this  is  nice  of  you,  I  am  perfectly  delighted 
to  see  you.'  Mrs.  Roosevelt  was  sitting  in  the  study 
and  was  as  charming  as  ever.  She  is  showing  a  great 
deal  of  courage  over  the  President's  departure  within 
a  few  days.  They  laughed  over  Alice  and  Secretary 
Wright  walking  down  to  the  station  Inauguration 
Day,  and  remarked  how  nice  it  was  of  her. 

"At  lunch  all  the  family  were  present  with  the 
exception  of  Alice  Longworth.  We  all  made  it  a  point 
to  be  gay,  Mr.  Roosevelt  saying  that  he  had  been  so 
busy  that  he  had  not  missed  the  Presidentship  a  single 
moment.  After  lunch  we  adjourned  to  the  big  library. 
The  President's  chair,  which  he  had  used  in  Cabinet, 
arrived.  There  was  an  amusing  discussion  as  to  where 
it  should  be  placed  in  the  room.  After  that  the  beau- 


SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       429 

tiful  Turkish  rug  which  had  been  presented  by  the 
Sultan  of  Turkey  was  considered,  as  to  whether  it 
should  be  cut  or  not.  Mrs.  Roosevelt  thought  she 
should  be  allowed  to  do  as  she  liked,  while  young 
Teddy,  who  is  in  the  Hartford  Carpet  Co.,  looked  at 
it  as  injuring  its  commercial  value.  At  three  I  said 
good-bye  to  the  President,  wished  him  good  health  and 
good  sport,  and  walked  backed  to  the  station,  arriving 
in  New  York  at  6  P.M. 

"  March  30.  —  Cabinet  Meeting.  All  present  but 
Nagel.1  Decide  to  send  two  fast  cruisers  to  meet  the 
S.S.  Guadaloupe  at  Trinidad,  with  Castro  on  board, 
in  order  to  watch  his  movements  and  morally  to  sup 
port  the  present  government  of  Venezuela. 

"  Secretary  of  War  speaks  of  the  trial  by  jury  of 
negroes  in  Tennessee.  They  asked  to  have  coloured 
juries,  but  it  was  found  later  that  they  were  always 
convicted.  When  asked  the  foreman  [said],  'We 
know  the  rascals  they  bring  before  [us],  and  the  white 
folks  thought  that  we  were  going  to  whitewash  our 
own  people,  so  we  always  convict  them.'  The  coloured 
asked  to  be  tried  by  white  jurors. 

"March  31.  —  Harvard  dinner  given  to  President 
Eliot  at  the  Raleigh ;  about  250  present.  I  sat  on  the 
left  of  President  Eliot.  President  Taft,  Root,  Lodge, 
and  others.  Eliot  made  a  speech  of  half  an  hour,  won 
derful  diction,  never  repeats  or  hesitates.  Speaks  of 
what  Harvard  has  done,  and  how  she  has  done  it, 
through  groups  of  men  working  in  harmony. 

"  Root  made  one  of  the  best  speeches  that  I  have 

i  Charles  Nagel,  Secretary  of  Commerce  and  Labour. 


430  GEORGE  TON  L.  MEYER 

heard  him  make,  and  ended  by  referring  to  Eliot  as  a 
man,  a  gentleman,  equal  to  filling  any  position  in  any 
court  of  any  Emperor  or  King,  to  which  the  Presi 
dent  may  choose  to  call  him. 

"This  rather  forced  President  Taft's  hand,  who 
ended  his  speech  by  endorsing  what  Root  had  said 
about  Eliot." 

The  diary  may  here  be  interrupted  by  a  reference 
to  another  Harvard  dinner,  at  which  Meyer  was  one  of 
the  speakers.  In  1909  President  Eliot  was  succeeded 
at  Harvard  University  by  President  Lowell.  At  a 
dinner  in  his  honour  at  the  Harvard  Club  of  New  York 
City,  Meyer  set  forth  the  value  of  college  training, 
and  used  the  following  words,  strongly  autobiographic 
in  their  suggestions :  - 

Then  comes  the  power  to  judge  and  control  men,  the 
aspect  of  the  executive,  which  is  perhaps  the  most  important 
of  all  —  the  ability  to  choose  capable  and  trustworthy  assist 
ants  as  lieutenants  and  advisers.  No  executive  officer,  in  busi 
ness  or  in  government,  can  even  attempt  to  attend  to  everything 
himself.  It  is,  in  fact,  the  very  essence  of  a  good  executive 
that  he  should  know  how  to  delegate  certain  powers  and  so  to 
arrange  his  work  that  his  time  may  be  given  to  the  larger 
projects  and  the  more  important  policies.  It  is  ridiculous  to 
suppose  that  the  college  man  can  plunge  into  the  world  and 
immediately  begin  to  exercise  executive  functions.  My  con 
tention  is,  however,  that  the  training  which  a  man  receives  at 
college  makes  him  far  better  fitted  for  utilizing  his  first  expe 
riences  in  practical  life,  preparing  him  all  the  more  quickly  to 
be  a  leader  of  men,  either  in  a  great  or  a  small  way.  His  life 


1909-19131     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       431 

in  college  has  fitted  him  with  a  mental  grasp — has  given  him 
the  tools,  so  to  speak,  with  which  to  attack  the  job  of  life.  It 
is  his  own  fault  if  he  misuses  those  implements,  for  the  world 
to-day  is  more  filled  with  opportunities  than  it  ever  was. 

To  this  should  be  added,  for  what  it  signifies,  a 
single  sentence  from  a  letter  written  by  Meyer  to  a 
business  associate  only  a  few  weeks  after  his  first  com 
ing  to  Washington :  "  The  longer  I  live,  the  more  I 
realize  that  frequently  the  turning-point  in  business 
or  life  is  the  ability  to  seize  the  opportunity." 

To  return  to  extracts  from  the  diary :  — 

ff  April  4.  —  Take  a  long  ride  with  Lodge  in  the 
afternoon.  He  says  Hay  was  given  the  Grand  Cordon 
Legion  of  Honour  by  France,  and  the  Senate  refused 
to  grant  him  leave  to  accept  it.  Hay  was  furious  and 
never  got  over  his  resentment. 

ff  April  7.  —  The  Attorney  General,  Wickersham, 
gives  a  dinner  to  Mr.  Choate.  He  has  grown  veiy 
stout,  his  waistcoat  has  become  very  well  padded,  the 
result  of  all  the  dinners  in  England.  He  evidently 
still  has  some  feeling  against  President  Roosevelt,  who 
recalled  him  and  appointed  Reid. 

"  During  dinner  Jusserand  was  talking  about  what 
a  wonderful  worker  Roosevelt  was,  and  how  he  could 
write  upon  several  subjects  the  same  morning,  and 
Choate  asked  if  President  Roosevelt  could  write 
poetry. 

"April  8.  —  The  President  sent  word  for  [me] 
to  come  to  the  White  House  first  thing.  I  found  a 
crowd  waiting  in  the  outer  rooms.  Inside  were  Lodge 


432  GEORGE  YON  L.  MEYER 

and  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  MacVeagh.  We  talked 
about  the  tariff,  the  prospect  of  free  hides  and 
lumber. 

"  The  President  wants  an  inheritance  tax.  Lodge 
said  the  states  were  against  it  and  favoured  tax  on 
checks  and  on  proprietary  medicines. 

"April  9.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  Knox  jokes  about 
the  President's  speech  that  he  is  to  make  to  the  new 
Cuban  minister.  Taft  recalls  the  address  that  some 
years  ago  he  was  to  make  to  the  Pope  on  his  arrival 
at  the  Vatican :  '  Payne,1  who  was  Postmaster  General 
and  rather  Presbyterian  in  his  tastes,  objected  to  the 
expressions  and  the  flowery  style.  President  Roosevelt 
looked  up  and  quickly  said,  "  I  might  say,  How  are 
you,  Mr.  Pope?  I  knew  your  father  the  Pope." 

"  The  tariff  bill  passes  the  House. 

"April  30.  —  Wickersham,  the  Attorney  General, 
goes  to  New  York,  and  in  a  public  speech  defines  the 
administration  policy  as  to  trusts,  R.R.  magnates,  etc. 
He  said  among  other  things  that  there  could  be  no 
longer  any  excuse  of  any  one  by  pleading  ignorance  of 
the  '  Sherman  act ' ;  that  obedience  to  the  laws  would 
ensure  people  from  being  sued.  There  had  been  in  the 
past  some  cases  that  were  taken  up  without  sufficient 
evidence,  too  hurriedly,  and  those  would  be  dropped. 
Where  there  was  a  case  they  would  be  continued. 

"  May  1.  —  Had  a  long  talk  with  Admiral  Sperry 
about  the  consolidation  in  Navy  Yards.  Newberry 
started  the  matter  without  giving  sufficient  thought  to 
details,  and  effect  it  would  have  on  ordnance  equip- 

i  Henry  C.  Payne,  of  Wisconsin. 


1909-19131     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       433 

ment  and  steam  engineering.  The  result  now  has  been 
that  the  efficient  men  in  those  branches  of  the  Navy 
Yards  are  inspectors  without  power.  Everything  has 
been  thrown  into  the  bureau  of  construction  and  re 
pairs  and  the  line  officers  put  into  the  background.  I 
can  see  that  sooner  or  later  I  shall  have  a  struggle 
with  Senator  Hale1  on  this  whole  subject,  who  is 
against  the  fleet  and  the  line  officers. 

ff  May  28.  —  President  goes  to  Pittsburg  this  eve 
ning  and  then  on  to  Gettysburg.  Had  a  talk  with  him 
this  afternoon  before  he  started,  and  urged  upon  him 
the  importance  of  not  attempting  to  do  too  much; 
that  he  owed  it  to  the  country  and  to  himself.  He 
promises  to  let  up. 

ff  June  1.  —  Cabinet  Meeting.  The  President  re 
turns  from  Pittsburg,  etc.  Describes  his  trip,  which 
he  evidently  enjoyed.  Tells  the  story  of  the  tenderfoot 
out  West  who  went  into  a  bar  where  they  were  playing 
cards  and  saw  some  cheating  at  cards,  nudged  his 
neighbour  and  said,  '  Do  you  see  the  dealer  give  him 
self  four  aces?'  'Well/  was  the  reply,  'he's  dealing, 
isn't  he?' 

"  Knox  read  a  letter  from  an  American  friend  liv 
ing  in  England  which  describes  the  English  hysteria 
over  Germany  at  the  present  time.  The  friend  seems 
to  have  caught  it,  because  he  then  went  on  to  say 
that  we  have  only  Germany  to  fear,  and  must  keep  up 
our  Navy,  as  she  was  liable  to  come  out  some  time  and 
possibly  attack  us,  as  she  had  a  ready-made  army  of 

i  Eugene  Hale,  of  Maine,  Chairman  of  the  Senate  Committee  on  Naval 
Affairs. 


434  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

German  emigrants  in  North  and  South  America.  All 
of  which  is  absurd,  and  Taft  felt  the  same  way  about 
it  —  that  all  the  Germans  that  he  had  met  in  different 
parts  of  the  world  preferred  to  do  business  out  of  their 
own  colonies  rather  than  in  them,  as  they  could  make 
more  money.  In  fact,  they  were  underselling  the  Eng 
lish  merchants  everywhere. 

(t  June  3.  —  Call  on  the  President  in  order  to  show 
my  plan  this  summer  and  autumn  for  withdrawing  the 
retired  officers  from  active  service  in  the  Navy  and  fill 
ing  their  places  with  younger  men  from  the  active  list. 
Also  explain  in  the  rough  the  manner  in  which  I  pro 
pose  to  work  out  the  reorganization  of  Navy  Yards 
in  conjunction  with  the  bureaus  in  Washington. 

"  June  8.  —  Cabinet  Meeting.  MacVeagh  absent 
in  Chicago.  Made  a  speech  —  referred  to  the  Tariff; 
said  we  should  have  a  downward  revision,  but  '  not 
down  and  out.'  It  has  been  taken  up  a  good  deal  in 
the  press,  and  the  Senator  from  Michigan  said  he 
was  not  going  to  be  told  how  he  should  vote  by  one 
of  the  Democratic  members  of  the  Cabinet  —  Mac 
Veagh  having  been  a  Cleveland  Democrat. 

ff  June  15.  —  At  Cabinet  meeting  to-day  the  Presi 
dent  asked  each  one  of  us  for  our  opinion  as  to  the 
advisability  of  his  sending  in  a  special  message  to  Con 
gress  [recommending]  a  tax  not  to  exceed  two  per 
cent  on  the  net  income  of  corporations.  It  was  the 
unanimous  opinion  that  it  was  the  psychological 
moment  to  do  so;  that  it  would  defeat  the  income  tax 
of  the  Democrats  who  have  made  a  combine  with 
Cummins  of  Iowa  and  a  few  others,  and  would  be 


1909-19W     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       435 

the  first  step  in  government  supervision  of  corpora 
tions. 

"  The  President  stated  that  it  would  be  most  un 
fortunate  for  the  prestige  of  the  Court  (Supreme) 
to  have  at  this  time  to  settle  against  the  constitu 
tionality  of  the  income  tax.  Therefore  an  amendment 
should  be  submitted  to  all  the  states. 

"  June  18.  —  Cabinet.  Before  the  meeting  I 
chaffed  the  President  that,  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  he  had  a  special  meeting  of  the  members  of  his 
Cabinet,  including  the  Attorney  General  with  the  ad 
dition  of  Senator  Root,  not  one  of  them  knew  or 
remembered  that  the  income  tax  law  had  lapsed. 

'  We  discussed  the  corporation  tax  and  believed  it 
would  be  accepted  by  Congress  and  would  result  in  a 
revenue  of  about  $50,000,000.  It  would  be  well  taken 
by  the  public,  and  eventually  advantageous  to  cor 
porations,  for  the  reason  that,  having  government 
supervision,  it  would  be  reassuring  for  investors  and 
encourage  foreigners  to  invest. 

Cf  June  30.  —  Commencement  Day  at  Harvard. 
President  Abbott  Lawrence  Lowell,  the  new  Presi 
dent,  presides  at  Sanders  Theatre,  and  Eliot  receives 
degrees  of  LL.D.  and  M.D.  —  the  latter  rather  far 
fetched  —  and  is  made  President  Emeritus.  I  attend 
the  exercises  at  Sanders  Theatre  for  the  first  time  since 
I  graduated  thirty  years  ago!  I  find  a  great  change. 
The  students  who  receive  degrees  wear  gowns  and  the 
professors  as  well,  with  colours  of  different  degrees, 
the  signification  of  which  I  do  not  understand.  Attend 
the  spread  of  the  Chief  Marshal  at  University.  Con- 


436  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER        UM9-M3 

gratulate  President  Lowell  and  later  take  the  3  P.M. 
train  for  New  London,  arriving  at  6.30.  Find  the 
Dolphin's  launch  waiting  for  us  at  the  wharf. 

ff  July  5.  —  Took  the  family  out  in  the  Dolphin 
launch  and  visited  the  battleship  Minnesota  lying  off 
Marblehead.  Captain  Sims  of  gun-practice  fame  took 
me  over  the  ship.  I  had  an  interesting  talk  with  him 
regarding  a  board  of  military  experts  who  shall  act 
as  critics  of  naval  designs.  He  strongly  favours  it, 
and  I  believe  it  would  be  advantageous  to  appoint  one. 
As  I  left  they  gave  the  customary  salute  of  seventeen 
guns. 

<e  July  8.  —  At  last  the  tariff  bill  passes  the  Sen 
ate.  I  went  up  to  the  Capitol  after  dinner,  found  the 
Senators  sweltering  in  the  heat,  several  of  them  sitting 
smoking  in  a  room  that  leads  directly  from  the  back 
of  the  Senate  Chamber.  The  air  was  suffocating  and, 
as  there  were  no  windows,  lacked  ventilation.  Senator 
Carter  of  Montana  was  lying  on  a  sofa  and  complained 
of  a  headache,  when  I  asked  him  how  he  was.  I  sug 
gested  it  could  not  improve  as  long  as  he  stayed  in 
such  a  badly  ventilated  room.  He  answered,  '  I  guess 
you  are  right,'  got  up,  and  went  out.  I  begged  Lodge 
to  come  out  with  me  on  the  terrace,  which  we  found 
delightful  and  really  grand,  looking  over  the  city  with 
its  flickering  lights  and  the  dim  outline  of  the  Wash 
ington  Monument  shaft  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac. 

Senator came  out  for  inspiration,  walked  up  and 

down  in  a  theatrical  manner,  impatiently  waiting  for 

to  finish  his  harangue  to  an  indifferent  and  un- 

listening  Senate.  I  left  unimpressed  by  the  debaters 


1909-1913}     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       437 

and  assured  that  it  would  [end]  that  evening,  to  the 
relief  of  the  country." 

At  about  this  time  Meyer  received  his  first  letter 
from  Colonel  Roosevelt  in  Africa.  It  was  dated  May 
17,  and  a  portion  of  Meyer's  reply  to  it  will  tell  more 
than  his  journal  has  related  of  the  joy  he  was  taking 
in  his  new  work  and  the  foundations  he  was  laying  to 
make  it  effective. 

To  Theodore  Roosevelt 

July  9,  1909. 
MY  DEAR  PRESIDENT, — 

I  cannot  tell  you  how  pleased  I  was  to  get  your  letter 
and  to  receive  word  direct  from  you  that  you  had  had  really 
first-class  sport.  According  to  the  newspapers,  it  must  have 
been  extraordinary,  and  consequently,  I  was  not  sure  whether 
it  had  been  exaggerated  or  not.  Think  of  getting  six  lions 
and  two  rhinos,  etc.,  etc!  It  makes  my  wolf  look  sick. 

I  took  Nick  and  Alice  down  on  the  Dolphin  from  Jersey 
City  to  say  good-bye  to  Mrs.  Roosevelt,  and  expected  to  pass 
Saturday  there  before  she  sailed;  but  I  had  been  fighting  an 
attack  of  influenza  in  Washington  for  a  week,  and,  when  we 
anchored  at  Oyster  Bay,  I  did  not  go  ashore,  as  I  felt  pretty 
slim.  In  the  middle  of  the  night  I  was  taken  down  with  a 
severe  attack  of  bronchitis  and  lost  my  voice.  It  was  pretty 
trying  to  be  unable  to  go  ashore.  Mrs.  Meyer  and  my  daugh 
ters  arrived  in  New  York  Monday  night,  so  on  Tuesday  we 
stopped  at  Oyster  Bay  on  our  way  to  Gloucester,  in  order  that 
my  wife  might  see  Mrs.  Roosevelt;  but  luck  was  against  us, 
as  she  was  out. 

You  are  quite  right  when  you  say  you  are  sure  I  am 
enjoying  my  present  position.  It  is  the  most  interesting  work 
I  ever  had  in  my  life  and  the  officers  are  a  fine  set  of  men. 


438  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER        W09-ms 

I  have  been  looking  into  the  organization  of  all  ship 
yards,  and  find  that,  without  exception,  all  the  successful  com 
mercial  ship-yards  have  been  organized  with  a  hull  division  and 
a  machinery  division.  Newberry's  attempt  was  to  have  one 
manufacturing  department  in  navy  yards,  which  combined  hull 
and  machinery,  and  placed  everything  under  the  constructor. 
It  has  created  great  dissatisfaction,  and  the  result  was  that 
the  engineers  were  designing  and  not  executing;  consequently, 
they  were  not  finding  out  their  own  errors  and  profiting  by 
the  experience,  and  it  meant,  in  the  end,  the  deterioration  of 
the  engineer,  which  would  be  disastrous  to  the  fleet.  There 
fore,  I  have  amended  his  regulations  so  that  the  engineer  has 
control  of  the  machine  shops  for  steam  engineering,  etc.  I  am 
also  satisfied  that  we  cannot  reorganize  ship-yard  administra 
tion  in  navy  yards  without  taking  up  the  question  of  rearrange 
ment  and  reorganization  of  bureaus  at  the  same  time,  and  that 
will  be  a  matter  of  research  throughout  the  summer.  I  am 
also  seriously  considering  having  a  Board  as  critics  of  the 
military  efficiency  of  designs,  and  who  shall  be  able  to  give 
their  undivided  attention  to  the  subject  and  make  also  a 
thorough  research  into  the  errors,  as  well  as  the  improve 
ments,  that  have  been  made  in  other  countries  as  to  battle 
ships,  etc. 

I  realize  the  important  feature  is  the  efficiency  of  the 
fleet  —  that  we  must  have  our  navy  yards  and  our  fleets  in 
actual  readiness  for  any  emergency,  and  that  this  is  as  impor 
tant  as  it  is  for  a  fire-engine  to  be  prepared  to  quell  a  fire  at 
a  moment's  notice. 

Taft  has  come  out  for  a  two-per  cent  excess  tax  on  the 
net  incomes  of  the  corporations,  and  it  has  been  adopted  by 
the  Senate,  which  will  mean  a  step  towards  government  super 
vision  of  all  corporations.  It  is  entertaining  to  hear  the  com 
ments  and  wails  of  some  individuals  who  thought  they  were 


1909-1913}     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       439 

going  to  get  an  entire  change  of  policy,  and  that  they  would 
be  let  alone  in  the  future.  .  .  . 

I  am  enclosing  an  article  which  is  going  the  rounds  con 
cerning  an  address  I  made  on  the  Navy  in  New  England. 

The  fleet  is  now  assembling  and  the  idea  is  to  practise 
manoeuvring  at  speed,  15-17  knots,  and  gun  practice  under 
unfavourable  conditions  of  weather,  etc.,  and,  perhaps, 
manoeuvres  at  night. 

My  task  in  making  up  the  estimates  for  1911  was  a  dif 
ficult  one.  Mr.  Taft  had  committed  himself  to  a  reduction  of 
ten  millions  in  the  Navy  and  as  much  more  in  the  Army.  I 
went  to  work  at  it  in  a  manner  which  I  believed  would  bring 
about  the  least  detriment  to  the  Navy.  First,  I  got  together 
the  bureau  chiefs  collectively  and  went  over  the  estimates,  and 
then  took  the  chiefs  individually;  after  that,  I  assembled  all 
the  commandants  and  went  over  the  estimates  with  them  as  to 
navy  yards,  and  later  tackled  them  individually,  with  the  re 
sult  that  I  made  a  reduction  of  ten  millions  from  the  appro 
priations  for  the  fiscal  year  1910.  When  I  related  what  I  had 
done  to  Mr.  Hale,  he  said :  "  It  is  not  possible ;  the  annual  in 
crease  each  year  will  eat  up  your  reduction."  However,  on 
informing  him  that  the  cut  was  really  twenty-four  millions  and 
that  after  that  I  had  added  fourteen  millions  in  order  to  build 
the  two  battleships  of  the  26,000-ton  type,  a  machine  repair- 
ship  which  shall  be  able  to  keep  up  with  the  fleet,  or  the  equiva 
lent  expense  in  destroyers,  and  3,000  additional  enlistments, 
he  acknowledged  that  the  result  had  been  obtained.  I  thought 
this  might  interest  you.  You  will  be  surprised  when  I  tell  you 
that  on  Mr.  Hale's  first  call  he  suggested  that  I  had  an  oppor 
tunity  to  save  from  five  to  ten  millions  by  cutting  down  the 
size  of  battleships!  It  is  needless  to  say  that  that  was  not 
done,  and  I  have  signed  the  specifications  which  call  for  the 
two  26,000-ton  battleships  of  the  most  modern  and  approved 


440  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

type.     The  bids  will  be  called  for  probably  on  the  15th  of 
August. 

You  would  be  surprised,  possibly,  at  the  tremendous 
interest  which  is  being  taken  throughout  the  country  in  your 
trip  and  the  satisfaction  everywhere  with  the  good  sport  that 
you  are  having. 

With  best  wishes  for  continued  good  luck,  believe  me, 
Always  faithfully  yours, 

'  G.  v.  L.  MEYEE. 
Congratulations  to  Kermit. 

Hon.  Theodore  Roosevelt, 
Juja  Farm, 
Nairobi, 

British  East  Africa. 

Tariff  bill  passed  by  the  Senate  last  night.  Went  to  House 
this  morning.  Conference  committees  appointed.  President 
got  back  from  Lake  Champlain  this  afternoon. 

G.  v.  L.  M. 


"July  10.  —  Took  Cabot  Lodge  out  with  me  to 
Fort  Myer,  in  order  to  see  the  Wrights  fly  in  their 
aeroplane  at  7  P.M.  A  very  successful  flight  and  most 
interesting.  It  is  the  beginning  of  a  new  mode  of 
transportation  and  the  aeroplane  of  the  future,  twenty- 
five  years  from  now,  will  be  as  different  from  what 
we  saw  to-day  as  is  the  present  transatlantic  steamer 
from  the  Fulton  steamer  that  first  plied  on  the 
Hudson.1 

iA  newspaper  interview  with  Meyer  in  February,  1911,  shows  that 
even  then  the  rapid  development  of  aviation  for  war  purposes  was  not  at 
all  foreseen.  He  was  asked  about  the  future  of  aeroplanes,  and  an- 


M9-19M     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       441 

ff  July  13.  —  First  Cabinet  meeting  since  the  Presi 
dent's  return  from  Champlain  celebration.  He  looks 
well  and  it  does  not  seem  to  have  fatigued  him.  In 
fact  I  think  he  rather  enjoyed  the  trip.  The  French 
Ambassador  was  also  on  this  occasion  one  of  the 
speakers  at  Champlain.  There  is  considerable  rivalry 
between  the  French  and  German  Ambassador.  They 
have  both  stayed  late  in  Washington  on  account  of  the 
tariff. 

"July  16.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  Previous  to  the 
meeting,  about  twenty  Congressmen  stood  in  a  circle 
about  the  President  and  endeavoured  to  commit  him  to 
the  higher  rates  on  lumber,  paper,  coal  ores,  and  a  duty 
on  hides.  They  left  realizing  that  they  had  not  made 
any  headway  with  the  President.  I  could  see  that 
some  of  the  remarks  of  the  Congressmen  irritated  him 
not  a  little.  But  he  ended  up  with  his  smile! 

"July  18  (Sunday).  —  Pass  the  morning  review 
ing  papers  in  connection  with  the  Department.  Wick- 
ersham  and  I  lunch  at  my  house  and  then  go  out  to 
Chevy  Chase  and  play  fifteen  holes  of  golf.  The  Pres 
ident  would  like  to  play,  but  does  not  on  account  of 
public  sentiment.  He  rides  on  horse-back,  which  is 
not  criticized  —  a  fine  distinction. 

"July  20.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  Took  up  the  en 
tire  morning  in  considering  estimates  for  1911.  The 

swered:  "That  they  will  be  used  as  fighting  machines  is  very  doubtful. 
It  has  been  suggested  that  they  could  drop  explosives  on  war  vessels  and 
forts.  There  are  some  barbarities,  however,  that  are  even  prohibited  in 
war.  Besides,  Germany  has  a  gun  that  pumps  lead  into  the  air  as  thick 
as  rain,  and  an  aeroplane  could  be  shot  to  pieces  before  it  got  near 
enough  to  work  any  damage." 

Evidently  Germany  foresaw  the  prohibited  "barbarities." 


442  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

first  hour  was  spent,  however,  in  Mr.  Taft  stating  his 
position  on  the  tariff  and  his  attitude  as  to  articles  that 
should  go  on  the  free  list.  He  favoured  free  hides, 
ore,  and  oil,  reduced  duties,  especially  on  lumber  and 
coal.  Asked  each  member  of  the  Cabinet  his  opinion. 
Knox  surprised  [me]  by  saying  that  he  did  not  think 
he  was  sufficiently  informed  to  give  advice.  The  At 
torney  General  (Wickersham),  Hitchcock,  and  my 
self  agreed  that  he  should  hold  to  the  free  articles 
which  he  had  enumerated  and  give  a  little  if  necessary 
on  the  lumber  and  coal  duties. 

c<  July  22.  —  Representatives  of  various  interests 
are  in  Washington  looking  to  protection  of  their 
goods,  etc.,  thus  making  it  harder  to  get  the  Confer 
ence  Committee  to  come  to  a  conclusion.  The  tariff 
bill  should  not  be  a  compromise,  the  result  of  pulling 
and  hauling.  We  should  have  a  tariff  commission. 

"July  23.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  All  present  but 
Ballinger.1  We  went  over  finally  the  various  estimates 
and  the  Secretary  of  Treasury  stated  that  they  showed 
a  saving  of  $50,000,000  over  the  appropriations  of 
1910. 

"  The  President  showed  less  hopefulness  about  the 
tariff  bill  and  the  outcome  of  the  Conference.  He 
appeared  for  the  first  time  put  out  and  discouraged, 
and  said  that  he  would  like  to  tell  some  of  the  mem 
bers  that  they  could  go  to  hell.  He  is  inclined  to  let 
them  know  that,  unless  they  incorporate  free  hides, 
free  oil,  and  free  ore,  he  will  not  sign  the  bill. 

"  Told  the  President  that  I  was  going  home  for 

i  Richard  A.  Ballinger,  Secretary  of  the  Interior. 


1909-1913]     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       443 

Sunday.  He  hesitated  a  moment  and  then  said,  *  All 
right,  old  man.' 

"July  27.  —  Cabinet  meeting.  I  told  the  Presi 
dent  after  the  meeting  that  the  people  I  had  met  in 
New  York,  Rhode  Island,  and  Massachusetts  were 
with  him  on  his  tariff  policy,  and  that  they  recognized 
the  fact  of  Speaker  Cannon's  disloyalty  in  the  way 
he  had  made  up  the  Conference  Committee  on  the  part 
of  the  House;  also  his  outrageous  effort  to  raise  the 
glove  schedule  and  prevent  the  proper  reductions.  If 
he  should  give  in,  it  would  discredit  [him]  before  the 
country  and  be  a  decided  setback  for  his  administra 
tion.  He  replied,  '  I  shall  not  give  in,  and  if  neces 
sary  will  refuse  to  sign  the  bill  and  call  another  session 
in  October.' 

"  July  28.  —  Mrs.  Townsend  gives  a  dinner  to  the 
President  at  the  Country  Club:  Secretary  MacVeagh, 
Wickersham,  Aldrich,  Root,  the  Longworths,  the 
Huntington  Wilsons,  Winthrops,  and  Woodbury 
Blairs,  Bob  Bacon,  Charley  MacCawley,  and  Captain 
Butt.  After  dinner  the  President  called  Root  and 
myself  to  sit  beside  him  on  the  piazza.  He  then  told 
us  of  his  tribulations  with  the  Conference  Committee 
and  what  Cannon  was  trying  to  do  for  Littauer  by 
raising  rates  on  ladies'  gloves  in  order  to  pay  a  political 
debt.  Aldrich  came  up  and  asked  if  he  could  have 
a  private  talk  with  the  President,  as  the  Conference 
Committee  had  agreed  on  a  report.  I  had  already 
warned  the  President  of  an  attempt  to  get  him  to 
compromise  for  a  small  duty  on  hides  and  increase  on 
lumber. 


444  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

"  July  29.  —  The  President  turns  down  the  report 
of  the  Conference  Committee  on  the  Tariff.  They  had 
attempted  to  put  him  in  a  hole  and  he  refused  to  go 
there,  but  stood  firm  on  free  hides  and  a  low  duty  on 
ores  and  coal,  with  lumber  at  $1.25  and  not  $1.50. 

"July  30.  —  Was  unable  to  attend  the  Cabinet 
meeting. 

"The  President  wins  out!  Senate  and  House 
members  in  Conference  Committee  give  in  on  free 
hides  and  decided  reductions  on  coal,  ore,  and  lumber, 
with  no  increase  on  ladies'  gloves. 

'  This  is  a  great  victory  for  the  President,  and 
very  important  throughout  the  country,  as  feeling  was 
running  very  strong. 

"  The  Wrights  make  their  flight  to  Alexandria  and 
back  from  Fort  Myer,  carrying  a  passenger  and 
averaging  a  rate  of  42  miles  an  hour  in  their  aeroplane. 

"July  31.  —  Call  on  the  President.  Congratulate 
him  on  his  tariff  victory.  Also  regret  that  on  account 
of  illness  was  unable  to  play  golf  with  him  on  Thurs 
day  at  Chevy  Chase. 

"  As  I  have  an  attack  of  colitis,  he  advises  me  to  go 
away  at  once  in  order  to  get  a  rest  and  change.  The 
House  is  to  vote  on  the  bill  this  afternoon  and  it  will 
then  go  to  the  Senate  Monday  at  10  o'clock. 

"  On  the  motion  to  recommit  it  was  only  defeated 
by  5  votes.  On  the  passage  it  was  carried  by  11  votes; 
not  much  of  a  margin,  and  if  the  President  had  not 
taken  hold,  it  would  undoubtedly  have  been  recom 
mitted. 

"  It  is  felt  that  Taft  lost  the  opportunity  to  use  the 


1909-1913]     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       445 

big  stick  on  Congress  which  [T.R.?]  would  not  have 
allowed  to  pass  by. 

ef  August  21.  —  Small  Cabinet  meeting,  lasting 
from  3  until  7  P.M.,  held  at  Beverly  in  President  Taft's 
summer  house  on  Burgess  Point. 

'  Take  up  the  dispute  between  Pinchot  and  Bal- 
linger,  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  concerning  reserva 
tion  of  lands,  the  formation  of  the  tariff  commission, 
speeches  to  be  made  by  the  President. 

ef  September  5.  —  Secretary  Ballinger  is  to  lay 
his  side  of  the  case  before  the  President  some  time 
to-morrow.  It  looks  to  me  as  though  Pinchot,  in  his 
zeal  for  reservation  and  irrigation,  has  gone  further 
than  the  law  warrants,  and  that  Ballinger  has  pro 
ceeded  according  to  the  strict  interpretation  of  the  law. 
Besides,  Pinchot  forwarded  charges  of  one  Glavis 
against  Ballinger  without  first  thoroughly  investigat 
ing.  It  looks  to  me  as  though  Glavis  was  trying  to 
cook  up  a  case  against  Ballinger,  and  I  do  not  believe 
that  the  President  will  put  up  with  disloyalty  of  a 
subordinate  against  his  chief  (Ballinger).  He,  the 
President,  intends  to  look  to  his  Cabinet  officers  and 
hold  them  responsible." 

After  this  entry  the  items  in  the  diary  are  too  few 
and  unimportant  for  reproduction.  It  is  unfortunate 
that  further  comments  on  the  Ballinger  case  by  a  mem 
ber  of  Mr.  Taft's  Cabinet  are  lacking,  and,  still  more, 
for  the  sake  of  political  history,  that  the  diary  had 
long  been  discontinued  when  in  March  of  1912  Theo 
dore  Roosevelt  assumed  the  leadership  of  the  "  Pro- 


446  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

gressive  movement."  Here  especially  such  records  of 
daily  occurrences  as  Meyer  had  long  been  wont  to  keep 
would  have  possessed  great  interest  and  value.  They 
might,  however,  have  beguiled  the  reader  from  the 
central  purpose  of  this  chapter  —  which  is,  of  course, 
to  present  the  record  of  Meyer's  administration  of  the 
Navy  Department. 

Among  the  voluminous  papers,  published  and  un 
published,  bearing  upon  his  conduct  of  that  branch 
of  the  government  is  found  a  statement  of  "  Salient 
Points  in  Secretary  Meyer's  Administration  of  the 
Navy  Department  from  March  4,  1909,  to  March  4, 
1913."  The  facts  which  it  brings  together  might  be 
assembled  from  a  great  variety  of  other  sources  — 
annual  reports,  newspaper  and  magazine  articles,  cor 
respondence  and  speeches,  representing  in  their  mass 
an  extraordinary  quantity  of  individual  labour.  It 
would,  however,  be  idle  to  attempt  another  summary, 
so  adequate  and  comprehensive,  of  Mr.  Meyer's  work 
as  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  The  "  Salient  Points  "  are 
as  follows:  — 


1.  After  a  very  careful  study  and  thorough  investigation 
of  business  methods  of  successful  commercial  organizations,  a 
complete  reorganization  of  the  Navy  Department  was  put  into 
effect  by  Mr.  Meyer,  on  lines  which  resulted  in  greatly  in 
creased  efficiency  and  in  considerable  reduction  in  cost.  Under 
the  old  system,  the  numerous  chiefs  of  bureaus  each  had  to 
come  to  the  Secretary  to  get  his  signature  to  papers  requiring 
large  expenditure  of  Government  funds,  and  there  had  been 
no  general  supervision  of  such  expenditures  to  bring  about 


1909-wis]     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       447 

efficiency  and  economy.  Mr.  Meyer  organized  a  council  of 
aids  and  divided  the  business  of  the  Navy  Department  into 
four  parts,  each  part  being  under  the  supervision  of  one  of 
these  aids.  The  aids  were  responsible  advisers  for  the  Secre 
tary  and  kept  him  fully  informed  on  all  the  affairs  that  came 
under  their  several  departments. 

2.  The  reorganization  of  the  navy  yards  was  then  taken 
up  on  the  principle  that  the  navy  yards  existed  for  the  needs 
of  the  active  fleet,  and  that  the  fleet  is  not  for  the  purpose  of 
making  work  for  the  navy  yards.     Routine  docking  and  repair 
periods  were  established ;  yard  methods  were  improved ;  and  the 
employment  of  a  steady  force  of  highly-trained  and  efficient 
mechanics  and  workmen  was  thereby  secured.     Mr.  Meyer  in 
stituted  quarterly  conferences  at  Washington  of  the  Command 
ants  of  all  the  navy  yards,  so  that  there  might  be  uniformity 
of  methods   and  elimination  of  inefficient  conditions   at  each 
yard.      He  divided  the  industrial   work  in   the  yards   in  two 
departments,  —  Hull  and  Machinery,  —  placing  a  constructor 
in  charge  of  the  hull  work  and  an  experienced  line  officer  in 
charge  of  the  engineering  work. 

3.  In  order  to  increase  the  efficiency  of  the  yards   and 
to  reduce  the  cost  of  work  as  far  as  possible,  he  went  abroad 
to  study  the  various  methods  of  shop-management  in  operation 
at  the  big  shipbuilding  plants.     After  a  thorough  study,  he 
introduced  a  modification  of  the  Vickers'  system,  which  has  al 
ready  begun  to  show  increased  efficiency  with  reduced  cost. 

4.  The  active  fleet  was  reorganized  and  put  on  an  efficient 
war  basis.     Seventeen  battleships  were  maintained  at  all  times 
in  cruising  condition  at  sea,  the  fleet  being  divided  into  four 
divisions  of  five  vessels  each  (and  an  additional  vessel  for  the 
flag-ship  of  the  Commander-in-Chief),  one  ship  of  each  division 
being  at  the  yards  for  repairs. 

5.  He    established    reserve    fleets    on    the    Atlantic    and 


448  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Pacific  coasts.  It  had  been  the  custom  to  place  out  of  com 
mission  for  repairs  vessels  of  considerable  military  value,  and 
Mr.  Meyer  found  that  this  resulted  in  great  deterioration  and 
considerable  expense  for  extensive  repairs  from  time  to  time. 
He  directed  that  these  vessels  should  be  maintained  in  a  state 
of  material  readiness  at  all  times,  so  that  in  time  of  war  they 
would  form  the  second  line  of  defense.  He  mobilized  the  fleets 
on  the  Atlantic,  Pacific,  and  Asiatic  stations  once  each  year, 
and  by  such  mobilization  demonstrated  the  efficiency  of  the 
vessels  and  also  any  deficiencies  which  required  remedial  action. 

6.  He  advocated  a  continuous-building  programme,  with  a 
minimum  yearly  construction  of  two  battleships  and  the  cor 
responding  number  of  auxiliaries,  in  order  to  maintain  a  fleet 
adequate  for  the  country's  needs. 

7.  He  urged  the  Council  of  National  Defense,  composed 
of  Cabinet  Officers,  Congressmen,  and  officers  of  the  Army  and 
Navy,  to  outline  a  definite  naval  policy  for  the  country. 

8.  The  gunnery  efficiency  of  the  fleet  increased   remark 
ably  under  Mr.  Meyer's  direction.     When  he  took  office,  the 
gunnery  practices  of  the  ships  were  held  in  smooth  water,  in 
closed  harbours,  and  at  very  short  ranges.     At  the  end  of  his 
administration,  the  ships  were  firing  at  ranges  of  from  six  to 
nine  miles  in  the  open  sea,  under  rough  weather  conditions  and 
in  battle  formations. 

9.  During  Mr.  Meyer's  administration,  engineering  com 
petitions  were  introduced  in  the  fleet.     These  resulted  in  great 
reduction  in  expenditure  of  coal  and  oil,  and  in  greatly  in 
creased  steaming  radius  of  the  fleet.     They  also  developed  a 
spirit  of  self-dependence  in  the  vessels  of  the  fleet,  and  they 
were  encouraged  to  make  their  own  repairs  at  sea,  thereby  mak 
ing  them  practically  independent  of  navy  yards.     The  result 
was  a  very  high  state  of  engineering  efficiency. 

10.  He  established  a  system  of  inspections  of  ships,  with 


1909-msi     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       449 

the  result  that  useless  repairs  were  discontinued  and  unserv 
iceable  ships  were  sold. 

11.  He   established  a   central   cost-accounting  system   at 
navy  yards,  which  put  the  record  of  cost  on  a  practical  com 
mercial  basis. 

12.  A  general   storekeeping  system  was   inaugurated   on 
all  vessels  of  the  Navy,  with  a  competition  that   resulted  in 
large  economies  in  the  expenditure  of  stores. 

13.  He  studied  the  subject  of  the  number  of  navy  yards 
necessary  for  the  fleet,  and  found  that  a  great  deal  of  money 
was  wasted  on  yards  of  no  military  value.     He  therefore  abol 
ished  several  yards  whose  yearly  maintenance  cost  was  over  a 
million  and  a  half  dollars,  and  advocated,  for  war  efficiency, 
the  consolidation  of  certain  other  yards. 

14.  Mr.   Meyer   advocated  the   extensive   use   of  wireless 
for  all  Government  work,  and  also  gave  every  encouragement 
to  the  development  of  aircraft  and  submarines. 

15.  He  enlarged  the  dry  docks  at  the  various  navy  yards 
to  meet  the  requirements  of  future  years. 

16.  He   gave   special  attention   to   the  commissioned   and 
enlisted  personnel,  and  issued  instructions  that  were  destined  to 
promote  their  efficiency  and  contentment. 

17.  He  established  a  course  of  instruction  at  the  Naval 
War  College,  and  also  a  post-graduate  school  at  the  Naval 
Academy  for  officers.     For  enlisted  men,  he  established  high- 
grade  schools  for  their  mechanical  instruction  in  many  places 
on  both  coasts. 

18.  He  gave  particular  attention  to  the  comfort  and  edu 
cation  of  the  enlisted  men  on  board  ship,  and  succeeded  in  mak 
ing  them  happy  and  contented. 

19.  He  believed  that  the  punishments  in  the  Navy  had 
been  too  severe,  and  he  endeavoured,  particularly  in  the  case 
of  young  men  and  first  offenders,  to  give  them  another  chance. 


450  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

With  this  end  in  view,  he  established  disciplinary  barracks  to 
which  men  were  sent  instead  of  to  prison.  The  prison  stripes 
were  done  away  with  and  the  men  were  encouraged  to  study  and 
were  taught  useful  trades.  The  results  were  entirely  successful, 
and  a  large  proportion  of  the  men  were  returned  to  the  service 
in  good  standing  instead  of  being  permitted  to  degenerate  into 
hardened  criminals. 

20.  He  advocated  and  secured  a  naval  reserve,  a  medical 
reserve  corps,  a  dental  corps,  and  a  dental  reserve  corps. 

21.  During  the  last  year  of  his  administration,  while  at 
the  annual  mobilization  at  New  York,  the  President  of  the 
United  States  made  the  following  comment :  — 

"FLEET  PREPARED  FOR  BATTLE 

"  I  cannot  forbear  to  congratulate  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  and  the  officers  and  men  of  the  fleet  on  the  magnificent 
appearance  which,  in  this  grand  review  of  these  two  days,  the 
fleet  presents.  I  am  sufficiently  advised  of  the  preparedness  of 
the  vessels  to  know  that,  when  they  pass  me  to-morrow  in  front 
of  the  Statue  of  Liberty,  they  would  be  ready  to  meet  an 
enemy  outside  of  Sandy  Hook,  both  those  vessels  on  the  active 
list  and  those  on  the  reserve,  with  their  guns  shotted  and  am 
munition  enough  in  store  to  do  effective  battle  for  their  country. 

"The  Secretary  of  the  Navy  has  consistently  laboured  to 
bring  about  a  system  of  control  in  the  Navy  Department  which 
shall  be  military  rather  than  civil,  and  directed  to  fighting 
rather  than  merely  to  manufacture  and  industrial  work.  A 
navy  is  for  fighting,  and  if  its  management  is  not  efficiently 
directed  to  that  end  the  people  of  this  country  have  a  right  to 
complain.  The  institution  of  naval  aids  to  the  Secretary,  re 
sembling  in  some  respects  the  General  Staff  of  the  Army,  has 
brought  about  a  condition  adapted  to  a  quick  preparation  of 


1909-wis}     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       451 

fighting  units  and  a  quick  mobilization  of  squadrons  and  fleets 
that  never  has  been  possible  before  in  the  history  of  that 
department. 

"  It  is  true  that  there  are  needed  more  auxiliary  vessels 
than  we  now  have,  were  we  to  enter  upon  a  war  of  large  pro 
portions  ;  but  it  is  satisfactory  to  know  that  the  time  in  which 
such  auxiliary  vessels  could  be  prepared  is  not  prohibitive,  and 
is  much  less  than  would  be  needed  to  add  battleships.  I  sin 
cerely  hope  that  whatever  party  comes  into  power  the  policy 
of  two  battleships  a  year  will  be  continued  until,  through  the 
Panama  Canal  and  otherwise,  the  needs  of  the  Pacific  coast 
for  its  defence  shall  be  satisfied  and  our  people  whose  states 
abut  on  that  great  ocean  may  feel  that  they,  too,  are  receiving 
the  benefit  of  the  sums  expended  from  the  National  Treasury 
for  adequate  naval  defense." 

This  summary  of  accomplishment  should  be  fol 
lowed  by  a  series  of  brief  statements,  made  by  Mr. 
Meyer  himself,  setting  forth  the  general  principles 
which  his  specific  changes  in  the  administration  of  the 
Navy  were  designed  to  embody:  — 

The  Fleet  is  the  Navy. 

In  war  nothing  fails  like  failure. 

In  order  to  have  success  we  must  have  efficiency. 

To  have  efficiency  we  must  have  a  definite  policy. 

To  bring  about  a  definite  policy  we  have  to  have  coopera 
tion  and  coordination. 

To  bring  about  this  cooperation  we  have  to  have  an  intel 
ligent  understanding. 

The  Monroe  Doctrine  is  no  stronger  than  the  Navy;  the 
Navy  is  no  stronger  than  the  Fleet ;  and  the  Fleet  is  the  Navy. 

The  Navy  Yards  exist  on  account  of,  and  for,  the  Fleet. 


452  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

The  value  of  the  objects,  both  general  and  specific, 
sought  and  in  large  measure  attained  by  Mr.  Meyer 
need  not  be  argued.  But  important  changes  in  so 
complex  an  organization  as  the  Navy  Department 
cannot  be  wrought  without  opposition.  Meyer  en 
countered  his  full  share  of  this  —  especially  from  Con 
gressional  committees,  after  the  elections  of  1910 
deprived  the  Republican  party  of  the  entire  control 
of  the  Government,  and  from  staff  officers  of  the  Navy 
whose  powers  were  curtailed  by  the  adoption  of  a  new 
policy.  It  would  be  superfluous  here  to  recount  the 
details  of  this  opposition,  as  it  would  also  be  to  study 
minutely  the  score  of  "  salient  points "  which  have 
been  enumerated.  A  few  of  them,  however,  call  for 
something  more  than  a  mere  statement  of  their  es 
sence.  Among  the  chief  of  these  were  the  reorganiza 
tion  of  the  Navy  Yards,  the  improved  methods  of  cost- 
accounting,  and  the  change  in  the  bureau  system 
which  took  as  long  a  step  in  the  direction  of  a  General 
Staff  for  the  Navy  as  existing  legislation  permitted. 

It  should  be  said  first  of  all  that,  except  for  a  few 
matters  on  which  immediate  decisions  were  imperative, 
Meyer  instituted  his  new  methods  in  the  Department 
only  after  months  of  deliberation  and  study.  He  knew 
the  value  of  sound  advice,  and  promptly  sought  it. 
His  own  attitude  toward  the  need  of  it  was  well  de 
fined  in  his  first  Annual  Report,  dated  December  4, 
1909:- 

In  the  past  seven  years  there  have  been  six  Secretaries  of 
the  Navy.  How  may  the  Secretary,  lacking  expert  knowledge 


1909-1913}     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       453 

in  the  various  duties,  but  with  full  authority  and  responsibility 
for  the  complete  conduct  of  the  Department,  adequately  direct 
all  the  varied  operations  ?  It  would  seem  proper  that  he  should 
be  provided  with  responsible  and  experienced  expert  advisers, 
on  whom  he  may  rely,  but  who  shall  not  in  any  way  be  able 
to  assume  any  of  his  authority. 

The  general  principles  of  responsible  advice  are  reason 
ably  clear.  The  facility  of  obtaining  advice  is  in  the  exact 
ratio  of  its  irresponsibility,  whereas  duly  responsible  and  satis 
factory  advice  is  most  difficult  to  obtain.  Advice  on  all  sub 
jects  may  be  had  for  the  asking;  but,  as  a  rule,  it  would  not 
be  advice  that  it  would  be  wise  to  follow.  Its  authors  are  not 
responsible. 

For  advice  that  he  could  follow  Meyer  turned  at 
once  to  responsible  advisers;  he  not  only  made  a  care 
ful  study  of  the  reports  and  recommendations  of 
previous  Secretaries  and  special  boards  of  inquiry,  but 
appointed  such  boards  himself,  especially  the  "  Swift 
Board,"  to  consider  possible  improvements  in  the 
organization  of  the  Navy,  and  took  counsel  of  the 
Attorney-General  with  regard  to  changes  that  might 
be  introduced  without  asking  Congress  for  new  legis 
lation.  This  practical  approach  to  the  problems  before 
him  was  followed  by  their  solution  through  the  issu 
ance  of  obviously  practical  orders.  The  whole  object 
of  these  orders  was  to  remove  a  condition  which  one 
of  his  recent  predecessors  had  defined  as  that  of 
"  power  without  knowledge  in  one  place  and  know 
ledge  without  power  in  another  place." 

The  changes  in  the  conduct  of  the  Navy  Yards 
introduced  by  Secretary  Ne wherry  at  the  very  end  of 


454  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER       W09-ms 

the  Roosevelt  administration  had  exalted  the  influence 
of  staff  officers  —  construction  and  engineer  —  and 
diminished  that  of  the  line  officers,  the  men  under 
whom  fighting  ships  must  go  into  battle.  Meyer  had 
not  observed  the  Russo-Japanese  war  in  vain.  The 
Russian  Navy  had  afforded  a  tragic  example  of  the 
results  of  staff,  or  shore,  domination;  the  Japanese 
Navy  precisely  the  opposite,  both  in  its  superiority  and 
in  the  cause  thereof.  Meyer  accordingly  determined 
to  make  the  Navy  Yards  quite  secondary  in  impor 
tance  to  the  fleet,  as  a  potential  instrument  of  war,  and 
wholly  contributory  to  its  welfare.  He  divided  the 
work  of  the  Yards  into  its  two  natural  branches  of 
"  Hull "  and  "  Machinery,"  assigned  this  work  to  spe 
cially  trained  experts,  but  gave  to  the  line  officers, 
constantly  practised  in  handling  their  vessels  at  sea, 
a  new  responsibility  for  their  structural  and  mechanical 
up-keep  both  before  and  after  repairs  were  needed. 
The  ship  afloat  and  ready  for  the  most  effective  action 
became,  as  it  should  be,  the  object  of  prime  considera 
tion.  The  Yards  themselves  had  the  benefit  of  the 
special  supervision  of  Mr.  Beekman  Winthrop,  Assist 
ant  Secretary  of  the  Navy  throughout  Mr.  Meyer's 
administration  of  the  Department. 

As  a  man  of  business  Mr.  Meyer  soon  discovered 
that  the  method  of  cost-accounting  pursued  in  the 
Navy  especially  in  the  Yards,  left  much  to  be  desired. 
The  Navy  was,  in  one  of  its  aspects,  a  vast  industrial 
enterprise,  to  which  the  best  methods  of  modern  busi 
ness  could  be  applied  with  great  advantage.  Chartered 
accountants  of  large  experience  were  accordingly  en- 


1909-msi     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       455 

gaged  to  make  a  thorough  investigation  of  this  impor 
tant  subject,  —  first  at  the  Boston  Navy  Yard, — 
with  the  result  that  the  system  introduced  there  was 
extended,  with  large  consequent  economies,  throughout 
the  Navy. 

These  measures  of  management  and  book-keeping, 
like  many  other  of  the  methods  of  administration  intro 
duced  by  Mr.  Meyer,  had  to  do  with  outward  organi 
zation  of  the  Department,  the  accomplishment  of  its 
daily  business.  There  was  always  a  larger  matter  to 
be  considered,  the  matter  of  general  naval  policy.  The 
words  about  responsible  advice  which  have  been  quoted 
suggest  with  sufficient  clearness  that  Meyer,  as  a 
civilian,  was  not  so  confident  of  his  own  opinion  when 
he  became  Secretary  of  the  Navy  as  to  rely  upon  it 
unaided  by  expert  knowledge.  The  machinery  for 
commanding  this  help  was  anything  but  adequate. 
Boards  of  inquiry  could  be  appointed  from  time  to 
time,  as  they  had  been  and  continued  to  be,  but  there 
was  no  established  provision  for  keeping  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  in  constant  touch  with  the  best  thought 
in  the  Department.  Since  1842  the  general  work  of 
the  Department  had  been  conducted  by  the  bureaus, 
which  had  grown  from  five  to  eight  in  number.  The 
bureau  chiefs  lacked  ultimate  authority,  and  their 
duties  frequently  overlapped.  The  imperfect  working 
of  the  system  under  pressure  was  revealed  by  the  fact 
that  in  the  Civil  War  it  was  necessary  to  give  an 
Assistant  Secretary  the  management  of  an  "  Operating 
Division,"  and  in  the  war  with  Spain  to  create  the 
"  Strategy  Board."  The  general  looseness  of  organi- 


456  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

zation  was  entirely  foreign  to  Meyer's  administrative 
standards.  He  accordingly  divided  the  work  of  the 
Navy  into  its  four  essential  parts  of  Operations,  Per 
sonnel,  Material,  and  Inspections,  and  appointed  a 
specially  qualified  flag  officer  as  aid  for  each  of  these 
Divisions.  A  personal  aid  for  his  own  office  was  also 
created.  The  bureaus  were  not  abolished.  All  their 
work,  however,  was  found  to  fall  under  the  headings 
of  Personnel  and  Material;  and  its  more  adequate 
performance  was  ensured  through  its  direction  by  the 
head  of  the  Department,  acting  on  the  expert  advice 
of  an  officer  not  involved  in  the  daily  routine  of  the 
bureau.  In  the  Division  of  Inspections  a  desirable 
change  was  effected  through  transferring  the  act  of 
inspection  from  officials  who  had  themselves  been 
responsible  for  the  work  under  scrutiny  to  others  not 
thus  responsible. 

Under  Mr.  Meyer's  conception  of  the  Navy,  as  an 
immediately  potential  instrument  of  war,  the  Aid  for 
Operations,  whose  particular  subject  of  study  was  the 
disposition  and  exercise  of  the  fleet,  held  a  post  of 
special  importance.  All  four  of  the  aids  were  estab 
lished  in  close  proximity  to  the  Secretary's  office,  so 
that  daily  consultations  were  easily  possible.  They 
held  a  meeting  at  least  once  a  week  with  the  Secretary. 
This  new  order  of  things,  not  requiring  special  legis 
lation,  yet  creating  something  very  like  a  General 
Staff  for  the  Navy,  was  set  up  in  December  of  1909. 
Early  in  1910  Congress  definitely  authorized  a  year's 
trial  of  the  arrangement.  Besides  the  weekly  meetings 
of  the  aids,  there  was  a  monthly  meeting  of  the  bureau 


1909-1913]     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       457 

chiefs  and  the  aids  with  the  Secretary.  The  yard  com 
mandants  of  each  coast  were  assembled  for  quarterly 
consultation.  Once  a  year  all  the  commandants  met 
with  the  Aid  for  Material  and  the  Director  of  the 
Navy  Yards,  in  Washington.  The  total  result  of  the 
new  provisions  was  a  system  of  marked  efficiency, 
highly  approved  by  the  Navy  itself,  and  bearing 
notable  fruits  in  its  condition. 

In  January,  1910,  the  Engineering  Magazine  pub 
lished  an  article,  "  Sanity  in  Naval  Organization," 
which  ended  with  the  following  paragraph :  — 

It  was  hoped  and  believed  that,  with  the  advent  of  a 
President  who  had  been  trained  as  a  judge,  the  spirit  emanating 
from  the  Chief  of  the  Administration  would  actuate  his 
cabinet  officers,  and  matters  of  serious  moment  would  be  given 
careful  study  and  adequate  consideration,  before  action  was 
taken  involving  such  serious  matters  as  the  organization  of  a 
great  Department.  This  anticipation  has  not  been  disap 
pointed,  and  the  United  States  is  to  be  congratulated  on  the 
direction  of  the  Navy  Department  by  such  a  chief  as  Secretary 
Meyer,  whose  actions  thus  far  have  shown  a  splendid  grasp  of 
the  situation  and  executive  ability  of  a  very  high  order.  If 
his  future  conduct  of  the  office  should  be  along  the  lines  which 
have  been  followed  thus  far, — and  we  sincerely  hope  that  this 
will  be  the  case, — we  predict  that  his  name  will  go  down  as 
that  of  one  of  the  great  Secretaries  and  great  administrators 
in  the  history  of  the  United  States  Navy. 

When  Mr.  Meyer  went  out  of  office  in  1913, 
nobody  imagined  that  the  Navy  would  have  so  early 
an  opportunity  to  prove  its  mettle  in  the  most  crucial 


458  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

of  tests.  Between  1913  and  1917  many  friends  of  the 
Navy  deplored  changes  in  its  organization  which  ap 
peared  to  do  away  with  important  elements  of  his 
work.  At  this  moment  there  is  not  the  slightest  occa 
sion  to  raise  points  of  controversy.  The  issue  of  the 
American  participation  in  the  war  by  sea,  left,  in  the 
good  naval  phrase,  "  glory  enough  to  go  round."  But 
Meyer  should  now  receive  his  share  of  it,  for  the  most 
competent  naval  opinion  is  strongly  to  the  effect  that 
the  Division  of  Operations,  the  direct  outgrowth  of 
the  office  of  Aid  for  Operations,  —  the  aid  who  in  the 
nature  of  things  was  expected  to  fulfil  functions  of 
commanding  importance  in  time  of  war,  —  was  an 
agency  of  supreme  value  in  the  recent  conflict.  For 
this  it  is  but  just  to  bear  in  mind  with  special  gratitude 
the  distinctive  contribution  of  Mr.  Meyer  to  the  effi 
cacy  of  the  Navy  in  its  hour  of  opportunity.  If  the 
system  of  aids  did  not  last  long  enough  to  accomplish 
its  full  purpose,  and  did  not  receive  the  final  legisla 
tive  sanction  by  which  Mr.  Meyer  hoped  to  see  its 
personal  responsibilities  strengthened,  his  greater  utili 
zation  of  the  line  officers  of  the  Navy  stands  as  a  per 
manent  gain.  With  this  achievement  in  mind  Admiral 
Sims  *  has  recently  written  in  a  letter  from  which  it 
is  permitted  to  quote:  — 

I  admired  him  very  much  and  believe  that  his  administra 
tion  of  the  Navy  Department  was  of  lasting  benefit  to  the 

iThe  interest  of  Admiral  Sims's  testimony  is  not  diminished  by  the 
fact  that  it  foil  to  Meyer,  as  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  in  January,  1911,  to 
issue  the  General  Order  containing  President  Taft's  public  reprimand  to 
Commander  Sims,  as  he  then  was,  for  having  declared  in  a  speech  in 
London  that  "  if  the  time  ever  comes  when  the  British  Empire  is  seriously 
menaced  by  an  external  enemy,  it  is  my  opinion  that  you  may  count  upon 


1909-ms}     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       459 

service.  .  .  .  Mr.  Meyer's  great  service  to  the  Navy  was  that 
he  placed  the  control  of  the  Navy,  and  particularly  the  con 
trol  of  the  design  of  all  of  our  vessels,  in  the  hands  of  line 
officers.  Before  his  time,  this  design  was  in  the  hands  of  a 
combined  board  of  line  and  staff  officers,  and  was  necessarily 
dominated  to  a  large  extent  by  the  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of 
Construction  and  Repair  —  this  because  the  other  members  of 
the  board  were  intensely  occupied  men  who  could  not  give  the 
necessary  study  and  attention  to  the  subject. 

Determination  of  the  military  characteristics  of  the  de 
signs  of  all  our  vessels  is  now  in  the  hands  of  the  General 
Board,  which  is  a  body  of  officers  that,  for  this  purpose,  is 
composed  entirely  of  line  officers.  They  make  a  continuous 
study  of  the  designs  of  ships ;  and  since  this  reform  was  made, 
we  have  designed  ships  which  are  at  least  the  equal,  and 
probably  the  superior,  of  any  of  those  in  the  world. 

In  the  previous  chapter  reference  was  made  to 
Meyer's  selection  of  competent  men  for  work  to  be 
done  under  his  direction,  to  his  habit  of  trusting  them 
and  holding  them  responsible,  and  to  the  consequent 
enthusiasm  of  his  assistants  in  their  several  tasks.  This 
was  precisely  as  true  in  his  administration  of  the  Navy 
as  of  the  Post-Office  Department.  He  thoroughly 
enjoyed  his  association  with  officers  of  the  Navy,  and 
they  in  turn  found  pleasure  in  working  with  him.  One 
of  his  personal  aids  has  recalled  the  standard  set  by 
Meyer's  own  industry.  This  aid,  now  a  rear-admiral, 

every  man,  every  dollar,  every  drop  of  blood  of  your  kindred  across  the 
sea."  Admiral  Sims's  personal  part  in  the  fulfilment  of  this  prophecy 
will  be  remembered  long  after  the  reprimand  is  forgotten.  It  is  worth 
noting,  moreover,  that  the  indiscretion  would  have  passed  unnoticed  had 
it  not  caused  President  Taft  to  receive  vehement  protests  from  "  German- 
American  "  societies. 


460  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

remembers  travelling  frequently  with  him  from  New 
York  to  Boston  by  the  ten  o'clock  train,  in  which 
Meyer,  spreading  his  office  papers  on  a  table  set  up 
before  his  chair  in  the  car,  would  lose  himself  so  com 
pletely  in  them  that  lunch  was  quite  ignored  until 
after  the  arrival  of  the  train  at  three  o'clock.  The 
same  associate  and  friend  recalls  a  separate  and  char 
acteristic  incident  —  the  pursuit  of  Meyer  into  the 
South,  where  he  had  gone  from  Washington  with 
friends  for  a  brief  holiday,  by  a  member  of  his  staff 
who  knew  that  his  chief  would  want  to  have  his  pleas 
ures  interrupted  for  the  immediate  decision,  thus  in 
fact  secured,  upon  an  important  matter  that  had  unex 
pectedly  come  up.  The  whole  question,  says  the  aid, 
would  have  been  laid  aside  until  the  return  of  any 
other  Secretary. 

Still  another  incident  is  related  by  Admiral  Leutze, 
who  was  in  charge  of  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard  while 
the  battleship  Florida  was  building  there  in  1910.  On 
the  Saturday  —  June  18  —  of  Colonel  Roosevelt's 
landing  in  New  York  after  his  African  hunting-trip, 
a  violent  wind  blew  over  the  crane  on  the  government 
floating  derrick,  Hercules,  used  in  lifting  heavy  armour- 
plate  for  the  Florida.  Meyer  was  on  the  Dolphin 
engaged  in  greeting  the  former  President.  On  Sun 
day,  when  Meyer  was  to  visit  Roosevelt  at  Oyster 
Bay,  he  received  an  urgent  appeal  from  Admiral 
Leutze  to  come  to  the  Navy  Yard,  inspect  the  damage 
wrought  by  the  wind,  and  approve,  if  he  would,  the 
course  the  Admiral  had  taken.  Meyer  immediately 
modified  his  plans  for  the  day,  visited  the  Yard,  and 


im-msi     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       461 

learned  from  its  Commandant  that,  without  authority, 
he  had  signed  a  contract  the  night  before  with  a  wreck 
ing  company  for  the  immediate  repairs  without  which 
both  the  work  on  the  Florida  and  the  whole  building 
programme  of  the  Navy  would  have  been  seriously  de 
layed.  Meyer  instantly  approved  the  Commandant's 
action,  telling  him  that  he  had  saved  the  Department 
a  great  deal  of  money.  Admiral  Leutze  went  on  to 
remind  the  Secretary  that  the  House  had  just  passed 
a  deficiency  bill,  which  would  go  to  the  Senate  the 
next  day,  Monday,  and  that  this  expense  must  be 
added  to  it.  Meyer  began  telegraphing  vigorously  to 
Washington,  with  the  result  that  the  item  was  intro 
duced  into  the  bill  in  the  Senate,  and  agreed  upon  by 
the  House  on  Tuesday  —  a  "  record  case,"  as  Admiral 
Leutze  believes,  of  expedition  in  such  business.  It 
can  hardly  be  doubted  that  the  impression  Meyer  had 
produced  upon  Congressional  committees  by  his  ap 
pearances  before  them,  prepared  to  answer  intelli 
gently,  and  without  promptings  from  subordinates, 
their  questions  on  all  manner  of  naval  topics,  had  pre 
pared  Congress  to  act  favourably  upon  this  emergency 
request  as  coming  from  a  Secretary  who  knew  what 
he  was  talking  about. 

It  was  devotion  of  this  kind  to  the  interests  of  the 
Navy  that  gave  to  so  many  of  its  officers  the  warm 
feeling  which  they  entertained  for  him.  His  devotion 
to  his  friends  was  of  the  same  nature.  A  fellow 
member  of  Mr.  Taft's  Cabinet  —  gratefully  recalling 
Meyer's  appreciation  of  all  the  humours  of  the  meet 
ings  of  that  body  —  relates  also  a  characteristic  in- 


462  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

stance  of  his  thoughtfulness  for  a  friend  in  distress. 
Riding  with  Meyer  one  morning  before  their  office 
duties  began,  this  Cabinet  officer  lost  control  of  his 
horse,  which  ran  away  and  threw  him.  Meyer  was 
greatly  concerned  for  the  possible  consequences.  The 
two  men  motored  home  together.  In  the  course  of 
the  morning  a  naval  surgeon  called,  under  orders  from 
Meyer,  to  examine  the  victim  of  the  accident.  Noth 
ing  serious  was  found,  but  before  the  office  day  was 
done,  Meyer  himself  called  for  his  colleague  and  in 
sisted,  against  his  protestations,  upon  taking  him  for 
a  motor  drive  and  making  sure  that  all  was  well. 

As  there  is  little  of  Meyer's  diary  to  draw  upon  for 
the  details  of  his  daily  life  during  his  four  years  at 
the  head  of  the  Navy  Department,  so  his  correspond 
ence  yields  less  than  in  other  periods.  Through  most 
of  this  time  he  was  not  separated  from  his  family,  and 
there  was  far  less  occasion  for  reporting  by  letter  to 
officials  of  the  Government  than,  for  example,  there 
had  been  while  he  was  in  Russia.  In  the  files  of  his 
correspondence,  however,  are  found  a  few  letters  which 
should  be  given  here  for  what  they  reveal  of  the  details 
of  his  work  and  of  the  time  in  which  it  was  done. 
They  will  be  presented  in  chronological  order,  with  the 
few  words  of  introduction  that  may  be  needed. 

To  Theodore  Roosevelt 

March  8,  1909. 
"My  DEAE  MR.  PRESIDENT, — 

I  was  terribly  put  out  with  myself  after  I  learned  that 
your  train  did  not  leave  until  five  o'clock,  and  for  not  going 


SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       463 

down  again  before  three  to  make  sure  that  you  had  gotten  away 
on  time. 

After  Governor  Draper  and  the  Massachusetts  troops 
had  passed,  Cabot  and  I  left  and  walked  to  his  house  and  had 
a  cup  of  tea,  where  we  talked  over  everything,  with  his  wife 
and  Doctor  Bigelow.  A  rather  depressed  group  it  was,  too. 

Yesterday  Cabot  and  I  took  a  ride  and  went  along  one 
of  the  paths  which  we  have  so  often  accompanied  you  on.  We 
missed  you  very  much.  The  whole  atmosphere  has  changed, 
and  it  seems  that  the  ginger,  for  a  time,  has  gone  out. 

This  morning  I  suspended  the  order  which  Newberry, 
among  a  raft  of  other  papers,  got  you  to  sign,  practically 
abolishing  the  Pensacola  and  New  Orleans  Navy  Yards.  I  am 
in  full  sympathy  with  the  policy  of  only  keeping  up  the  Navy 
Yards  which  are  important  and  necessary,  and  of  reducing  the 
expenditures  to  a  minimum  at  the  other  Yards ;  but  this  order 
has  raised  a  good  deal  of  feeling  in  Louisiana  and  Florida,  and 
the  commercial  bodies,  as  well  as  citizens,  are  on  the  backs  of 
the  Senators.  I  gave  a  hearing  to  the  delegations  from 
Louisiana  and  Florida  yesterday,  and  McEnery  seemed  very 
much  exercised,  as  was  Foster.1  As  you  know,  they  have  been 
your  supporters,  and  it  is  very  important  to  have  their  good 
will  during  the  next  four  years  in  the  support  of  the  Navy. 
The  expenditures  last  year  at  New  Orleans  amounted  to  only 
$20,000,  and  I  saw  the  importance  of  going  slow  there  and  thus 
preserving  the  good-will  of  McEnery  and  Foster  for  the  future. 
To  all  intents  and  purposes  I  can  carry  out  the  order  tfhich 
you  signed,  although  I  have  suspended  it,  without  an  Executive 
order,  and  this  will  relieve  the  Senators  from  the  pressure 
which  is  being  brought  to  bear  upon  them  and  soothe  their 
feelings  at  the  same  time.  It  did  not  require  an  Executive 
order  to  bring  about  what  Mr.  Newberry  wished  to  attain. 

i  S.  D.  McEnery  and  M.  J.  Foster,  Senators  from  Louisiana. 


464  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Both  Admirals  Capps  and  Pillsbury  agree  with  me  now  that 
it  would  not  be  expedient  to  push  the  matter  through  under 
the  order,  but  rather  to  bring  about  the  results  in  a  different 
way. 

I  am  tremendously  interested  in  the  work  of  the  Depart 
ment,  and  am  satisfied  I  shall  become  very  much  absorbed  in  it. 

Please  give  my  best  regards  to  Mrs.  Roosevelt  and  believe 
me,  as  always, 

'  Very  sincerely  yours, 

G.  v.  L.  MEYER. 

To  President  Taft 

1  WASHINGTON,  October  5,  1909- 
MY  DEAR  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

...  I  arrived  here  last  Sunday,  having  spent  two  days 
in  New  York  for  the  sole  purpose  of  entertaining  on  the  May 
flower  the  foreign  naval  officers.  Admiral  Edward  Seymour  of 
the  English  Navy,  Grosse  Admiral  von  Koester  of  the  German 
Navy,  and  Admiral  Perez  of  the  Chilean  Navy,  were  all  ex 
tremely  interesting  men.  The  attentions  shown  them  seemed 
to  be  appreciated. 

Cook  arrived  here  on  Sunday  and  seems  to  be  getting 
ahead  of  Peary  in  every  way  as  regards  the  first  outburst  of 
enthusiasm  in  the  different  cities  over  the  discovery  of  the  Pole. 
I  spent  Saturday  night  at  Wickersham's,  on  Long  Island, 
and  he  had  Laffan  x  and  his  wife  at  dinner.  Laffan  and  I  had 
quite  a  discussion  on  the  subject  of  jurisdiction  over  railroads 
and  as  to  the  question  of  issuing  bonds  and  stocks.  He  asked 
me  to  name  a  single  railroad  which  had  any  water  in  it  to-day, 
and  I  mentioned  the  Southern  Railroad,  which  I  remembered 
had  120  millions  of  common  stock.  His  reply  was:  "  \ou  have 
selected  the  best  one  you  could."  He  has  not  the  slightest  idea 

i  Presumably  William  M.  Laffan,  editor  of  the  New  York  Sun. 


1909-ms}     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       465 

that  Cook  went  up  to  the  North  Pole.  His  idea  is  that  he  and 
his  backer,  Bradley  the  gambler,  who  runs  the  gambling  hells 
at  Palm  Beach,  put  up  a  job  on  the  public,  and  is  going  to 
make  anywhere  from  a  half  million  to  a  million  of  dollars  out 
of  it  in  lectures  and  copyrights  on  Cook's  book.  It  is  unfor 
tunate  that  Peary  has  shown  so  little  tact  since  his  return,  as 
he  has  played  right  into  Cook's  hands. 

Mr.  Carpenter  took  me  over  the  executive  offices  to-day. 
They  are  going  to  be  a  wonderful  improvement  and  really  very 
attractive  and  well  arranged.  It  seems  almost  incomprehen 
sible  how  business  was  transacted  heretofore  in  such  small 
quarters.  .  .  . 

If  your  digestive  organs  stand  your  present  trip,  I  think 
3rou  must  be  copper-fastened  and  guaranteed  against  any 
future  troubles  of  that  kind. 

I  hope  this  will  find  you  feeling  well  and  that  you  will  be 
able  to  get  some  enjoyment  and  rest  during  your  trip. 
Faithfully  yours, 

G.  v.  L.  MEYER. 

To  Theodore  Roosevelt 

March  10,  1910. 
MY  DEAR  PRESIDENT,  — 

What  wonderful  sport  you  have  had,  and  how  much  you 
must  have  enjoyed  it!  I  am  so  glad  you  had  it,  and  I  do  not 
believe  any  one  else  ever  had  anything  like  it.  How  fortunate 
Kermit  was,  to  have  been  able  to  go  along  with  you,  and  what 
a  recollection  it  will  be  for  him!  I  have  often  found  that  I 
have  gotten  as  much  pleasure  out  of  my  sport  in  after  years, 
in  recalling  the  many  delightful  incidents  and  experiences,  as 
I  did  at  the  time.  I  have  followed  you  with  the  greatest  inter 
est  in  Scribner's,  and  am  looking  forward  to  the  issuing  of  your 
book,  which  I  understand  will  contain  much  more  than  has  been 
published  in  the  magazine. 


466  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER       ino9-isis 

It  may  interest  you  to  know  that  the  Duchess  of  Aosta 
has  gone  way  up  the  Congo  River,  with  an  English  woman 
companion,  and  is  to  write  five  articles  for  Harper's  Weekly. 
It  sounds  like  an  unhealthy  trip. 

I  am  so  glad  for  Mrs.  Roosevelt's  sake  that  she  is  about 
to  meet  you  again.  She,  as  women  often  do,  has  had  the  hard 
end  of  it,  and  must  have  passed  through  a  good  deal  of  anxiety 
at  times.  But  it  is  all  over  now,  and  you  and  she  will  have 
such  a  delightful  time  in  Rome,  Paris,  Berlin,  and  London. 
I  think  you  will  be  surprised  at  the  interest  people  have  in 
you  abroad,  which  I  have  always  told  you  is  tremendous. 

I  am  having  a  very  stiff  fight  for  the  two  battleships, 
which  is  pretty  contemptible,  considering  that  I  have  kept  them 
in  the  programme  and  yet  made  a  reduction  of  nearly  ten  mil 
lions  of  dollars  in  the  present  appropriation  bill,  as  compared 
with  the  appropriations  for  the  previous  year.  In  other  words, 
I  have  really  saved  the  price  of  one  battleship,  and  there  should 
not  be  any  question  about  appropriating  for  two.  But  the 
old  crowd  are  doing  all  they  can  to  defeat  it.  President  Taft 
is  most  anxious  that  the  two  battleships  be  appropriated  for, 
and  is  appealing  to  certain  members  on  the  ground  that  this  is 
the  one  Roosevelt  policy,  of  all  others,  as  to  which  there  should 
not  be  the  slightest  question. 

I  have  had  a  big  fight  on  this  winter  with  the  Committee 
over  reorganization.  When  I  went  into  the  Navy  Department 
I  was  very  much  impressed  with  your  letters  to  Congress  of 
January  27  and  February  27,  1909,  in  which  you  called  atten 
tion  to  the  fact  that  the  Department  was  not  organized  so  as 
to  bring  about  the  best  results,  and  that  it  failed  to  coordinate 
the  work  of  bureaus  to  make  the  Department  serve  the  one  pur 
pose  for  which  it  was  created,  that  is,  the  development  and 
handling  of  a  first-class  fighting  fleet;  in  other  words,  the 
highest  military  efficiency.  With  that  in  view,  I  went  to  work 


1909-19131     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       467 

to  see  what  could  be  done.  I  saw  that  my  predecessors  had 
made  recommendations,  but  that  Congress  had  never  taken  any 
action.  I  studied  the  reports  for  the  past  twenty  years,  and 
finally  decided  to  do  just  the  opposite  from  what  Newberry 
stated  before  the  Committee  he  had  done  —  worked  out  a  plan 
without  consulting  any  one.  Therefore,  I  got  together  some 
of  the  best  minds  in  the  Navy  and  referred  to  them  all  the 
documents  and  reports  which  I  had  collected  together,  including 
the  able  one  which  was  made  by  the  Commission  of  which 
Moody  was  the  head  during  the  last  two  months  of  your  admin 
istration.  The  Board  to  which  I  put  up  these  problems  for 
enlightenment  was  known  as  the  Swift  Board,  and  was  com 
posed  of:  — 

Rear  Admiral  Wm.  Swift,  Senior  Member, 
Captain         C.  E.  Vr  eel  and,    Member, 
"  S.  A.  Staunton,         " 

F.  F.  Fletcher,          " 
Commander  Roy  C.   Smith,  " 

G.  W.  Logan  " 

Lieutenant  Commander  L.  H.  Chandler,  Member, 
Commander  J.  M.  Poyer,  Recorder. 

I  myself,  without  waiting  for  Congress,  and  after  assur 
ing  myself  through  the  Department  of  Justice  that  I  was 
acting  within  the  statutes,  put  into  force  a  digested  plan  of 
reorganization,  on  the  first  day  of  December,  1909,  which  car 
ried  out  practically  the  principles  of  the  Moody-Dayton- 
Mahan  Board. 

In  your  letter  of  February  27,  1909,  you  state  that,  to 
supplement  and  finish  the  work  of  the  Moody  Commission, 
another  commission  must  eventually  be  designated,  to  take  up 
the  proposed  plan  and  complete  it  as  to  details,  and  that  no 
plan  can  be  satisfactory  if  there  is  deviation  from  the  essen- 


468  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

tial  military  principles  specified  in  this  report.  This  I  fully 
recognized. 

Under  the  present  plan  of  reorganization  the  work  of 
the  bureaus  continues  as  heretofore,  but  they  have  been 
grouped  into  four  logical  divisions  —  Military  Operations  of 
the  Fleet;  Personnel;  Material;  and  Inspection  (ashore  and 
afloat).  In  addition  to  the  bureau  chiefs,  whose  duties  have 
not  been  changed,  there  is  for  each  of  these  divisions  an  aid, 
or  counsel,  as  follows :  Rear  Admiral  Wainwright,  for  Military 
Operations  of  the  Fleet;  Rear  Admiral  Potter,  for  Personnel; 
Rear  Admiral  Swift  (who  is  to  be  succeeded  on  March  17  by 
Captain  Fletcher)  for  Material;  and  Captain  Ward,  for  In 
spection.  These  four,  when  called  upon  by  me,  act  as  a  mili 
tary  council,  and  are  held  responsible  individually  for  advice 
with  regard  to  their  divisions.  This  organization  ensures  for 
the  future  a  continuity  of  policy,  with  knowledge  and  experi 
ence  in  a  digested  form,  for  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  In 
other  words,  "  an  advisory  board,  equipped  not  merely  with 
advice  but  with  reasons."  It  also  enables  the  Secretary  to 
obtain  a  clear  understanding  and  a  firm  grasp  of  leading  mili 
tary  considerations  through  public  responsible  advisers,  who 
can  be  changed  in  any  instance  if  they  are  not  making  good. 

In  the  navy  yard  organization  I  retained  all  the  con 
solidations  of  shops  which  Newberry  brought  about,  but  found 
that  it  was  impracticable  and  costly  to  have  a  constructor  as 
manager  of  the  entire  yard  and  assistant  constructors  at  the 
head  of  the  various  departments  of  which  they  had  not  expert 
knowledge,  thus  making  the  Steam  Engineers,  Ordnance  men, 
and  Civil  Engineers,  mere  inspectors.  I  have  changed  the 
manufacturing  department  into  two  divisions,  instead  of  one; 
that  is,  a  hull  division  and  a  machinery  division,  with  a  con 
structor  as  the  expert  head  of  the  hull  division,  and  a  steam 
engineer  as  the  expert  head  of  the  machinery  division.  In 


1900-ms]     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       469 

doing  this  I  have  followed  what  has  been  shown  to  bring  about 
the  best  results  in  the  English  and  German  navies,  and  in  our 
own  successful  private  ship-yards,  such  as  the  Newport  News 
Shipbuilding  and  Dry  Dock  Company,  the  New  York  Ship 
building  Company,  and  Cramps. 

I  was  thankful  that  I  had  put  all  this  in  force  December  1, 
1909,  because  as  soon  as  Congress  assembled  I  found  opposi 
tion  and  an  endeavour  to  overthrow  what  I  had  done.  I  found 
that  the  movement  was  led  by  Hale,  Foss,1  Navy  Constructor 
Capps,  Paymaster-General  Rogers,  Admiral  Goodrich,  and 
supported  quietly  by  Newberry.  .At  one  time  it  looked  as 
though  everything  would  be  upset,  but  I  finally  won  over  the 
committee  to  leave  everything  in  operation  until  Congress  con 
venes  again,  so  that  they  may  be  able  to  judge  by  actual  re 
sults.  Besides,  "  Possession  is  nine  points  of  the  law,"  and  I 
had  the  reorganization  in  force  and  they  had  nothing  to  sub 
stitute  for  it,  and  would  have  done  nothing  if  I  had  gone  to 
them  in  the  beginning  and  asked  for  authority.!  Foss  was  put 
out  that  he  had  not  been  consulted,  and  so  was  Hale.  They 
preferred  to  have  the  constructors  in  control,  as  it  keeps  down 
the  line  and  the  military  side  of  the  navy  yards. 

I  am  sending  you  my  hearing  of  February  17,  before  the 
Committee,  and  am  going  to  ask  you,  as  a  great  favour,  to 
read  pages  679  to  705,  inclusive,  in  which  I  review  the 
situation. 

I  should  not  have  gone  into  this  matter  so  fully  in  this 
letter,  but  I  know  that  there  is  nothing  which  interests  you 
more  than  the  Navy,  and  I  wanted  you  to  know  just  what  had 
been  done,  and  what  is  being  done,  in  order  that  you  might 
be  posted  and  get  the  information  from  me  first-hand.  The 
plan  has  the  support  of  the  entire  line;  I  know  of  but  two 
exceptions.  .  .  . 

i  George  Edmund  Foss,  of  Illinois,  Chairman  of  the  House  Committee 
on  Naval  Affairs. 


470  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

I  am  tremendously  interested  in  the  work  and  have  never 
put  as  much  time  into  anything  as  I  have  done  in  the  last  year 
in  the  Navy.  It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  I  have  the  loyal 
support  of  the  officers,  and  that  the  President  is  approving 
absolutely  every  move. 

To  show  you  how  closely  Japan  follows  everything:  I  put 
into  force  at  the  Boston  yard,  July  1,  a  system  of  cost- 
accounting,  which  was  absolutely  lacking  in  the  Navy,  and 
without  which  it  is  impossible  to  know  what  we  are  accomplish 
ing  in  the  way  of  economy,  or  what  the  work  is  costing  us. 
Japan  has  already  asked  to  be  permitted  to  send  a  naval  officer 
over  to  study  the  system.  I  have  also  received  word  from  a 
mutual  friend  that  Sir  Arthur  Wilson,  who  studied  the  re 
organization,  spoke  in  the  highest  terms  of  it.  It  has  also 
recently  been  endorsed  by  the  National  Marine  Engineers' 
Association,  representing  11,500  members,  and  by  ex-Con 
structor  Nixon.  I  mention  this  only  to  show  that  unprejudiced 
experts  are  approving  the  reorganization  plan. 

In  a  poll  of  the  House  just  made,  we  find  that  we  lack 
25  votes  for  the  two  battleships,  which  are  to  be  of  26,000  - 
27,000  tons,  with  ten  14-inch  guns.  However,  the  President 
is  to  send  for  certain  members  and  we  hope  to  pull  a  sufficient 
number  of  members  over  to  get  the  appropriation  through. 

The  postal  savings  bank  bill  passed  the  Senate  on  the 
3d  instant. 

I  hope  this  will  find  you  and  Kermit  perfectly  well,  and 
with  my  love  to  dear  Mrs.  Roosevelt,  in  which  my  wife  joins 
me,  believe  me,  always, 

Faithfully  yours, 

G.  v.  L.  MEYER. 

In  the  autumn  of  1910  Meyer  paid  an  important 
visit  of  naval  inspection  to  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific 


1909-nm     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       471 

coasts,  and  to  Cuba.  It  is  unnecessary  to  accompany 
him  from  point  to  point,  but  the  following  letters  to 
Mrs.  Meyer  and  President  Taft  will  serve  to  suggest 
the  nature  of  the  undertaking. 

To  Mrs.  Meyer 

SEATTLE,  WASH.,  October  11,  1910. 

We  arrived  here  Sunday  night,  having  left  Livingston  at 
2.30  Saturday  afternoon.  We  went  through  the  Yakima  dis 
trict,  Washington,  where  they  have  established  great  apple 
orchards,  and  I  was  very  much  interested  in  looking  at  them 
from  the  car  window.  When  we  reached  North  Yakima  they 
were  selling  enormous,  perfect,  yellow  apples  at  five  cents 
apiece.  They  have  not  the  flavour,  however,  of  an  eastern 
apple. 

We  were  met  at  the  station  in  Seattle  by  Senator  Piles 
and  the  President  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce ;  but  they  were 
considerate  enough  to  leave  us  to  ourselves  at  the  hotel,  giving 
us  an  opportunity  to  have  a  bath,  supper,  and  retire.  The 
next  day,  Monday,  I  spent  at  the  Bremerton  Navy  Yard.  It 
is  a  run  of  an  hour  and  a  half  from  Seattle  in  the  Navy  tug. 

I  am  surprised  to  find  it  really  colder  here  than  in  Boston 
at  this  time  of  the  year,  due  to  the  dampness  in  the  air.  How 
ever,  I  have  still  stuck  to  my  open  mesh,  and  up  to  the  present 
have  avoided  a  cold.  Poor  Andrews  *  has  suffered  from  one  a 
good  deal  of  the  time,  but  is  much  better. 

I  was  met  at  the  Bremerton  Navy  Yard  by  the  marines 
drawn  up  on  the  dock  and  the  officers  in  their  uniforms,  and 
escorted  formally  to  the  Commandant's  office,  where  they  were 
presented. 

i  Captain  (now  Rear- Admiral )  Philip  Andrews,  Secretary  Meyer's 
personal  Aid. 


472  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

After  a  thorough  inspection  of  the  work  there,  I  find  it 
was  very  important  that  I  got  out  here  to  make  changes. 

We  lunched  at  the  Commandant's  house,  which  is  on  a 
high  bluff  overlooking  Puget  Sound,  and  beautifully  located, 
returning  to  Seattle  at  the  end  of  the  afternoon.  In  the  eve 
ning  they  gave  me  a  dinner  at  the  Club  here,  at  which  were 
present  prominent  gentlemen  of  Seattle,  and  of  course  there 
was  the  usual  speech-making.  I  find  that  on  naval  matters 
now  I  do  not  mind  whether  they  call  on  me  or  not,  as  I  am 
getting  to  be  familiar  with  the  subject. 

They  are  very  much  aroused  on  the  Pacific  coast  as  to 
their  safety  from  Japanese  attack ;  in  fact,  they  are  in  about 
the  same  frame  of  mind  that  our  people  were  in  when  they 
dreaded  the  onslaughts  of  the  Spanish  cruisers  at  the  beginning 
of  the  Spanish-American  war. 

To-day  I  am  receiving  delegations  and  inspecting  ship 
ping  plants,  and  this  afternoon  the  proposed  torpedo  station. 
I  hope  to  get  a  quiet  evening. 

To-morrow  at  eleven  o'clock  we  start  for  San  Francisco 
and  the  Navy  Yard  at  the  Golden  Gate,  known  as  Mare 
Island. 

I  got  your  telegram  this  morning,  acknowledging  mine, 
and  telling  me  that  Bey  was  with  you,  and  the  Beaches  also. 
How  pleased  Bey  must  be  to  get  on  the  first  crew!  I  hope 
he  will  be  able  to  stay  there  and  I  think  he  will,  barring  acci 
dents. 

I  found  letters  here  from  you,  Julia,  Alys,  and  Bey.  The 
mail  takes  about  as  long  to  reach  here  as  it  takes  to  London, 
but  the  telegraph,  of  course,  is  much  quicker  than  the 
cable. 

The  people  are  certainly  very  hospitable  out  here  and  are 
very  much  pleased  that  I  have  taken  the  trouble  to  visit  the 
Pacific  slope  myself,  to  learn  from  my  own  observations  the 


1809-19181     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       473 

requirements  and  needs  of  the  country.     I  think  it  may  help 
in  legislation  this  winter. 


To  President  Taft 

EN  ROUTE  TO  NEW  ORLEANS, 
"  October  22,  1910. 

MY  DEAR  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

Since  writing  you  from  St.  Paul  I  have  visited  Seattle, 
Bremerton  Navy  Yard,  San  Francisco,  the  Mare  Island  Navy 
Yard,  Goat  Island  (training  station),  Angel  Island  (quaran 
tine  station),  the  coaling  station  at  Tiburon,  Cal.,  (on  a 
peninsula),  Hunter's  Point  (two  drydocks  belonging  to  the 
Union  Iron  Works),  Los  Angeles,  San  Pedro  (the  harbour  of 
Los  Angeles),  and  San  Diego,  where  there  is  a  coaling  station 
which  has  never  been  used  and  probably  never  will  be,  and 
which  has  cost  the  Government  $200,000. 

Spaulding,  of  San  Diego,  who  won  out  in  the  primaries 
for  the  senatorshipj  was  in  the  East,  so  I  did  not  see  him; 
but  there  is  a  movement  on  foot  among  a  number  of  Republican 
insurgents  to  overlook  the  decision  of  the  primaries  and  de 
feat  Spaulding  for  senator.  Wright,  the  State  senator, 
thought  it  would  not  succeed,  but  there  is  no  question  that  the 
effort  is  being  made.  Senator  Wright  said  the  sentiment  in 
the  south  of  California  for  you  is  very  strong,  and  added  that 
his  judgment  was  that  by  a  year  from  now  it  will  have  spread 
all  over  the  state. 

In  San  Francisco  I  attended  a  banquet  that  was  given 
for  me  by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  at  which  Governor 
Gillett,  Senator  Perkins,  the  Congressmen,  and  the  Mayor  of 
the  city  were  present.  Gillett  is  endeavouring  to  get  together 
the  Governors  of  the  States  on  the  Pacific  slope  to  inaugurate 
a  movement  demanding  that  the  battleship  fleet  be  kept  on 
the  Pacific  coast.  In  my  address  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 


474,  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

I  endeavoured  to  show  that,  in  order  to  have  a  battle  fleet  on 
the  Pacific,  the  coast  must  be  in  a  position  to  maintain  it,  and 
that  there  were  no  docks  belonging  to  the  Government  at  the 
present  time  which  would  accommodate  all  the  battleships  now 
in  commission,  due  either  to  a  lack  of  water  in  the  channel  or 
the  size  of  the  dock.  I  informed  them  [that]  by  1912  the 
large  dock  would  be  completed  at  Puget  Sound,  but  that  at  the 
present  time  there  is  only  20  feet  of  water  at  low  tide  in  front 
of  the  dock  at  Mare  Island,  although  the  dock  itself  is  large 
enough  to  receive  any  battleship ;  that  in  the  channel  over 
the  Pinola  Shoals  the  depth  at  low  tide  is  not  more  than  22 
feet,  and  that  it  would  require  an  expenditure  of  $500,000  by 
the  War  Department  to  make  that  a  channel  30  feet  deep  at 
low  tide  and  500  feet  wide ;  also,  that  one  million  dollars  would 
be  necessary  for  dredging,  building  dikes  to  overcome  the  silt 
that  filters  in  the  channels,  and  to  make  sufficient  depth  for  the 
berthing  of  the  battleships  at  the  Navy  Yard  pier.  The  Mare 
Island  Navy  Yard  has  900  acres  of  high  land  and  1,800  acres 
of  marsh.  There  are  very  complete  shops  there  and  two  dry 
docks,  the  large  one  having  just  been  completed  a  few  months 
ago.  Fourteen  million  dollars  have  been  expended  in  establish 
ing  that  station.  A  Board  of  Engineers,  made  up  of  Army  and 
Navy  officers,  has  recommended  an  expenditure  of  one  million 
dollars  in  order  to  give  a  depth  of  30  feet  of  water  at  Mare 
Island.  If  that  expenditure  will  bring  about  the  necessary 
results,  it  is  well  worth  it,  provided  the  War  Department  will 
at  the  same  time  complete  the  channel  over  the  Pinola  Shoals. 
There  is  an  alternative  proposition  which  appeals  to  me 
very  much,  provided  it  can  be  satisfactorily  brought  about: 
the  Government  owns  an  island  known  as  Goat  Island,  directly 
in  the  harbour  of  San  Francisco,  and  opposite  the  terminals 
of  the  Southern  Pacific,  Sante  Fe,  and  a  third  (electrically 
equipped)  railroad.  It  is  very  desirable  as  a  terminal,  in  that 


1909-msi     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       475 

it  would  reduce  the  distance  from  San  Francisco  one-half  and 
make  the  ferry  about  the  same  as  it  is  from  New  York  to 
Jersey  City.  Goat  Island  is  now  used  by  us  as  a  training  sta 
tion  for  blue  jackets  and  a  small  number  of  marines,  which 
could  be  transferred  advantageously  to  the  Mare  Island  Navy 
Yard.  I  have  approached  the  Southern  Pacific  and  the 
Atchison  Railroad  officials,  to  know  if  they  desired  to  make  a 
tentative  offer  for  the  island,  which,  of  course,  would  be  sub 
ject  to  your  approval  and  the  action  of  the  Congress.  I 
believe  that  sufficient  money  could  be  obtained  for  Goat  Island 
to  enable  us  to  buy  Hunter's  Point,  where  there  are  already 
two  well-equipped  dry-docks  —  one  large  enough  to  dock  any 
battleship  that  we  have  in  commission  or  in  contemplation. 
There  is  abundant  water  there,  and  it  will  never  require  any 
dredging.  It  is  also  quite  accessible  to  San  Francisco,  while 
Mare  Island  is  thirty  miles  from  the  city.  If  a  satisfactory 
price  should  be  offered  for  Goat  Island,  the  purchase  of 
Hunter's  Point  would  make  unnecessary  the  million-dollar  ex 
penditure  for  dredging  and  the  building  of  dikes,  etc.,  at  Mare 
Island,  nor  would  it  be  necessary  for  the  War  Department  to 
dredge  Pinola  Shoals,  at  an  expense  of  $500,000,  because  the 
plan  then  would  be  to  maintain  Mare  Island  only  for  the  dock 
ing  of  smaller  cruisers,  torpedo  destroyers,  as  a  station  for 
naval  supplies  for  the  Pacific  and  Asiatic  stations,  as  a  training 
station  for  blue  jackets  and  marines,  and  as  a  manufacturing 
plant,  where  the  shops  are  already  equipped  for  the  require 
ments  of  the  fleet.  Hunter's  Point  would  be  merely  a  docking 
station,  with  a  kitchen  repair-shop. 

At  Los  Angeles  I  made  the  same  arguments  against  a  fleet 
being  on  the  Pacific  at  the  present  time  as  I  did  at  San  Fran 
cisco,  adding  that  there  was  no  probability  of  the  battle  fleet 
coming  to  the  Pacific  coast  until  the  Canal  is  completed.  The 
argument  seems  to  have  been  well  received,  and  many  of  the 


476  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

San  Francisco  citizens  told  me  that  I  had  smashed  Governor 
Gillett's  scheme  by  making  a  plain  statement  of  conditions  as 
they  existed  in  the  harbours  and  Navy  Yards  on  the  Pacific 
coast. 

At  Puget  Sound  there  is  plenty  of  water,  and  by  1912  it 
will  be  able  to  accommodate  the  fleet  with  two  docks.  The 
trouble  has  been  that  money  has  been  expended  in  different 
localities  and  locations,  probably  due  in  many  instances  to 
political  influence,  which  time  has  shown  was  not  well  advised 
or  necessary.  For  instance,  some  miles  from  Bremerton  Navy 
Yard  a  location  has  been  acquired  and  a  magazine  station  estab 
lished.  It  is  impossible  for  any  ship  to  get  to  it,  and  the  ammu 
nition  must  be  moved  by  barges.  It  is,  however,  an  ideal  picnic 
ground!  Also,  a  torpedo  station  has  been  located  on  another 
island,  which  might  have  been  placed  to  advantage  within  the 
Bremerton  navy  yard. 

San  Francisco,  if  we  acquire  Hunter's  Point,  would  be  in 
an  equally  good  condition,  but  otherwise  it  would  take  from  two 
or  three  years  before  sufficient  dredging  could  be  accomplished, 
with  the  dikes  required  to  overcome  the  silt,  to  put  Mare  Island 
in  a  condition  necessary  for  the  maintenance  of  the  fleet. 

Los  Angeles  and  San  Diego  also  wanted  naval  stations, 
but  I  explained  that  the  policy  of  the  future  would  be  to  con 
centrate  in  two  Navy  Yards  all  the  requirements  of  the  Pacific 
coast,  and  bringing  those  stations  up  to  the  highest  perfection, 
keeping  the  fleet  at  sea  and  having  it  visit  the  important  ports 
of  the  Pacific  during  maneuvres. 

San  Diego  has  a  natural  harbour  but  requires  a  bar  to  be 
dredged  three  feet  more  before  it  will  be  accessible  to  the  battle 
fleet.  Los  Angeles  has  a  harbour  made  by  hand,  as  it  were, 
with  a  long  breakwater  on  which  the  Government  has  expended 
three  millions  of  dollars.  It  will  be  useful  as  a  harbour  of 
refuge  for  the  torpedo  fleet,  cruisers,  and  a  limited  number  of 


1909-msi     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       477 

battleships.  There  are  great  expectations  of  commerce,  and 
even  immigration  from  Mediterranean  ports,  when  the  Canal 
is  completed ;  in  fact,  the  Canal  may  be  the  means  of  solving  the 
labour  problems  in  California,  as  the  climate  is  such  that  it  will 
undoubtedly  attract  Italians  to  the  Pacific  coast,  which  re 
sembles  their  own  climate,  rather  than  the  Argentine.  At 
present  the  cost  of  bringing  them  across  the  continent  by  rail 
is  too  great. 

I  am  now  on  my  way  to  New  Orleans,  Pensacola,  and  Key 
West,  in  order  to  see  the  Navy  Yards  there.  The  first  two 
should  be  abolished,  but  I  shall  be  prepared  to  report  more  in 
detail  after  inspecting  them.  From  Key  West  I  am  to  go  over 
to  Havana  and  from  there  to  Guantanamo,  in  order  to  learn 
the  possibilities  of  that  harbour,  which  is  already  used  as  the 
winter  base  of  the  fleet  and  will  increase  in  importance  as  a 
base  when  the  Canal  is  opened.  I  feel  that  an  effort  should  be 
made  to  put  that  station  on  a  basis  commensurate  with  its 
future  strategic  importance.  I  shall  return  in  time  to  vote. 

Please  present  my  best  regards  to  Mrs.  Taft,  and  believe 
me,  always, 

1  Faithfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 

To  Mrs.  Meyer 

ON  BOARD  U.S.S.  DOLPHIN 

en  route  Miami,  Fla.,  from  Cuba 
November  3,  1910. 

We  sailed  from  Miami  on  the  29th  of  October,  headed 
for  Guantanamo,  Cuba.  However,  we  ran  into  such  rough 
weather  that  we  changed  our  course  and  headed  for  Key  West, 
as  the  winds  were  more  favourable  and  the  ship  behaving  badly. 
I  was  feeling  mean  as  dirt,  though  this  passed  off  not  long 
after  we  changed  our  course.  It  was  our  original  plan  to 


478  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

inspect  Key  West  station  before  Guantanamo.  We  arrived  at 
Key  West  at  night,  and  at  six  the  next  morning  we  were  up 
and  dressed,  landing  upon  the  coral  deposits  which  now  form 
the  naval  station  at  Key  West.  There  I  found  old  Commodore 
Beehler  in  charge.  You  may  remember  he  was  my  naval  at 
tache  when  I  was  at  Rome,  and  he  also  served  me  during  my 
first  visit  to  Kiel,  when  I  first  met  the  Emperor  there.  By  half- 
past  eight  we  had  completed  the  inspection,  and  at  nine  we 
sailed  for  Havana.  It  was  beautiful  overhead  but  the  roughest 
sea  that  I  ever  encountered  on  so  small  a  boat.  I  had  my  chair 
lashed  to  the  mast,  and  there  I  stayed  for  seven  hours,  reading 
part  of  the  time  and  watching  the  angles  that  we  were  taking. 
We  dipped  several  times  to  the  extent  of  33  degrees,  which 
beats  the  record  for  the  Dolphin's  rolling.  Those  guns  that 
are  on  the  poop  deck  I  saw  several  times  dip  their  noses  into  the 
sea,  and  once  it  nearly  carried  away  one  of  the  boats,  as  she 
was  lifted  by  the  water  from  her  davits.  Strange  to  say,  I 
felt  perfectly  well,  but  it  was  very  fatiguing  balancing  one's 
self.  It  was  impossible  to  serve  any  meals,  or  to  have  anything 
on  the  table,  even  with  racks.  Fortunately,  it  was  only  a  seven 
hours'  run  and  we  entered  Havana  at  3.45  in  the  afternoon.  It 
was  a  wonderful  entrance,  with  the  old  forts  and  the  masts  of 
the  Maine  sticking  out  of  the  water,  the  surf  beating  on  the 
Esplanade,  the  bright  sun  and  the  quaint  buildings,  which  gave 
it  such  a  foreign  aspect  that  it  was  impossible  to  believe  one's 
self  in  the  western  hemisphere.  We  were  met  immediately  by 
the  Secretary  of  their  Marine,  who  is  called  a  Lieutenant 
Colonel  (their  navy  consists  of  one  small  gunboat  and  two  tugs), 
who  came  on  board,  as  well  as  the  Collector  of  the  Port  and  the 
Secretary  to  the  President.  We  saluted  the  fort  as  we  passed, 
and  they  returned  the  salute  to  me  of  nineteen  guns.  We 
landed  where  quite  a  number  of  people  had  assembled,  and 
there  was  the  usual  amount  of  photographing  by  the  would-be 


1909-19M     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       479 

Cuban-American  press  men.  We  were  then  taken  in  automo 
biles  to  the  Hotel  Plaza,  where  clean  rooms  were  furnished  us 
and  a  nice  bath. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  none  of  the  windows  have 
glasses  in  them,  merely  blinds  and  shutters,  so  that  if  there  is 
a  storm  it  is  necessary  to  close  the  shutters  and  light  the  electric 
light.  The  rooms  are  very  high-studded,  —  twice  as  high  as 
anything  in  America,  —  so  there  is  sufficient  air. 

That  night  we  dined  at  a  hotel  called  Miramar,  in  the 
courtyard  of  which  were  balconies  and  scenes  which  reminded 
one  of  pictures  of  Spain,  and  suggested,  with  the  music, 
the  opera  of  Carmen.  It  was  all  weird  and  interesting.  The 
hotel  is  situated  at  the  corner  of  the  Esplanade  and  the  Prado, 
and  is  the  only  hotel  with  a  good  chef. 

The  reporters  and  the  people  in  Cuba  were  rather  amusing 
in  one  respect:  the  day  after  our  arrival  was  election  day  and 
they  got  it  into  their  heads  that  I  had  come  down  to  give  moral 
effect  to  the  Cubans;  to  show  that  the  American  navy  could 
appear  at  any  moment,  and  to  remind  them  that  they  were  to 
do  their  duty  or  we  would  step  in. 

The  next  morning  I  called  formally  on  the  President  by 
appointment,  accompanied  by  Minister  Jackson  1  and  my  aid, 
and  the  Military  Attache,  Colonel  Barber,  where  we  were  re 
ceived  in  the  palace  that  Governor  Taft  lived  in,  and  Bob 
Bacon.  Later  we  lunched  at  an  inn  which  might  have  been  in 
Italy  or  Spain,  where  they  had  a  very  good  chef,  to  which 
Captain  Kelley,  who  is  the  New  York  Herald  representative 
and  a  former  naval  officer,  ciceroned  us.  We  brought  him 
with  us  from  Miami  as  Bennett's  personal  representative,  of 
the  New  York  Herald,  to  report  the  inspection  at  Guantanamo. 
We  also  have  Weightman,  of  the  New  York  Sun,  and  an  Asso 
ciated  Press  representative  met  us  at  Guantanamo. 

i  John  Brinckerhoff  Jackson,  of  New  Jersey. 


480  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

That  night  we  dined  with  Minister  Jackson,  at  the  lega 
tion.  He  has  a  charming  house,  really  a  very  large  villa,  with 
courtyard,  closed  staircase,  and  ante-chamber.  After  dinner, 
we  took  the  train  at  ten  o'clock  for  Santiago,  having  ordered 
the  Dolphin  around  to  meet  us  there.  The  journey  to  Santiago 
is  of  twenty-four  hours  and  gave  us  a  splendid  idea  of  the 
fertility  of  the  soil  and  of  the  vast  sugar-cane  fields.  Every 
thing  looks  prosperous  and  the  elections  went  off  quietly. 

As  we  reached  Santiago  (10  P.M.)  we  learned  from  the 
Consul  at  the  station  that  the  Dolphin  had  not  arrived,  so  we 
were  taken  to  the  Venus  Hotel,  which  is  on  the  ancient  square 
adjoining  the  Governor's  palace,  where  the  American  flag  was 
first  raised  after  the  Cuban  war,  when  peace  had  been  declared. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  square  is  the  old  cathedral.  Santiago 
is  supposed  to  be  the  most  ancient  town  in  the  western  hemi 
sphere.  The  hotel  at  which  we  passed  the  night  was  formerly 
the  Club,  and  it  is  said  that  it  was  here  that  Admiral  Cervera 
and  his  officers  gambled  for  high  stakes,  and  probably  in 
desperation,  the  night  before  they  sailed  out  from  Santiago. 
The  rooms  at  the  hotel  were  peculiar,  to  say  the  least.  Parti 
tions  between  the  rooms  went  up  about  ten  feet  and  then 
stopped ;  the  doors  were  partially  screened,  were  made  of  glass 
and  could  be  flung  open  or  almost  looked  over.  The  floors  were 
of  tiles  and  the  beds  not  the  most  comfortable.  I  got  little 

sleep,  as  I  could  hear snoring  in  the  next  room  and  people 

talking  throughout  the  night,  and  was  twice  awakened  by  wire 
less  messages  from  the  Dolphin.  Still,  it  was  a  wonderful  expe 
rience,  and  I  got  up  with  the  sun  and  looked  out  upon  the  weird 
and  attractive  scene  from  my  window. 

The  Dolphin  had  arrived  outside  of  the  harbour  at  eleven 
o'clock  in  the  night.  It  was  the  entrance  to  this  harbour  which 
Hobson  tried  to  block,  and  it  is  rather  difficult  to  navigate  at 
night.  We  found  our  launch  at  the  custom-house  pier  at  half- 


1909-ms)     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       481 

past  seven  A.M.  and  joined  the  Dolphin  again  at  eight.  Wie  then 
weighed  anchor  and  started  out  of  this  wonderful  land-locked 
harbour,  with  mountains  on  all  sides,  like  the  volcanic  lake  of 
Nemi,  only  on  a  larger  scale.  Suddenly  we  came  upon  the  cork 
screw  exit,  with  the  deserted  forts,  and  as  we  passed  over  the 
spot  where  the  Merrimac  was  sunk,  our  compass  veered  a  whole 
point. 

The  sail  to  Guantanamo,  which  we  entered  at  eleven  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  is  about  forty  miles.  Here  is  another  extraordi 
nary  harbour,  only  not  so  picturesque  as  Santiago,  but  well 
adapted  for  the  entire  battle  fleet  to  anchor  within  its  sheltered 
confines,  with  great  natural  advantages  and  greater  possibilities 
as  a  future  naval  base  for  the  defense  of  the  Panama  Canal. 
While  at  Guantanamo  I  received  your  cable  from  Funchal,  tell 
ing  me  of  your  safe  arrival,  but  I  regretted  to  hear  that  you 
had  had  a  stormy  passage.  Every  one  tells  me  that  Madeira  is 
charming,  and  I  have  also  heard  like  accounts  of  Teneriffe.  I 
cabled  you  at  once. 

At  Guantanamo  we  discontinued  our  inspection  at  noon 
to  take  lunch,  and  then  continued  it  in  the  afternoon,  so  as  to 
sail  at  five;  and  we  are  now  skirting  the  Island  of  Cuba,  which 
is  500  miles,  and  making  for  Miami  again,  where  I  hope  to  catch 
the  express  and  arrive  in  Washington  on  Sunday  morning,  the 
6th.  At  this  moment,  noon,  we  are  340  miles  from  Miami,  840 
from  Charleston,  and  1400  from  Washington.  Expect  to  take 
the  train  from  Miami  to-morrow,  reach  Washington  Sun 
day  A.M. 

In  August  and  September  of  1911  Meyer  visited 
England  "  primarily  for  the  purpose  "  —  as  his  Annual 
Report  for  that  year  expressed  it  — "  of  examining 
into  the  systems  of  organization  and  the  methods  em 
ployed  in  the  English  dock  yards  and  in  leading  ship- 


482  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER        VM9-ms 

building  establishments  in  Great  Britain."  The  Report 
sets  forth  the  results  of  his  observations  in  some  detail, 
and  well  illustrates  Meyer's  readiness  to  learn  at  the 
most  fruitful  sources  of  information.  Again  the  more 
personal  aspects  of  the  experience  are  found  in  letters 
to  President  Taft  and  Mrs.  Meyer. 

To  President  Taft 

[LONDON],  August  14,  1Q11. 
DEAR  ME.  PRESIDENT,  — 

I  feel  as  though  I  had  got  out  of  the  frying-pan  into  the 
fire.  In  other  words,  the  heat  here  is  as  great  as  in  America. 
All  the  country  is  completely  burnt  up,  and  the  green  sward  of 
England  has  disappeared. 

On  the  steamer  with  me  I  found  ex-Governor  Herrick. 
.  .  .  Brown,  President  of  the  New  York  Central,  was  on 
board  also.  .  .  .  He  had  just  come  from  the  West,  —  Iowa 
and  other  insurgent  states,  —  and  he  assured  me  that  there 
was  a  very  large  change  in  the  sentiment,  and  that  you  were 
stronger  with  the  people  and  growing  so  every  day.  That 
seemed  also  to  be  the  opinion  of  some  business  men  residing  in 
New  York  State  who  were  on  board. 

I  find  that  in  Germany  the  heads  of  the  railroads  meet 
the  head  of  the  Army  and  the  head  of  the  Navy  twice  a  year,  in 
order  to  consider  the  question  of  transportation  of  troops  as 
well  as  supplies,  in  case  of  an  emergency.  This  has  never  been 
done  in  our  country.  I  broached  the  subject  to  Brown,  and 
asked  him  if  he  felt  that  the  representatives  of  the  great  trans 
portation  lines  in  America  —  namely,  the  Hill,  Harriman,  Penn 
sylvania,  New  York  Central  and  Atchison  systems  —  would  be 
willing  to  meet  quietly  the  head  of  the  Army  and  the  head  of 
the  Navy,  and  take  up  the  matter  of  transportation  and  the 
requirements  in  the  way  of  the  Government  should  any  emer- 


SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       483 

gency  ever  arise,  the  information  to  be  absolutely  confidential 
and  filed  away  should  the  occasion  ever  occur.  If  there  had 
been  annual  meetings  of  that  character  previous  to  the  Spanish- 
American  war,  there  would  not  have  been  that  congestion  which 
showed  the  necessity  for  preparations  and  plans  well  conceived. 
Brown  is  to  consider  our  talk  absolutely  confidential,  and  I 
shall  do  nothing  further  until  my  return,  when  I  shall  take  it 
up  with  you  and  the  Secretary  of  War. 

Mr.  Reid  was  most  kind  in  giving  me  a  dinner  the  day 
after  my  arrival  and  putting  me  in  touch  with  the  Government 
and  the  Admiralty  in  a  way  which  has  been  most  advantageous 
to  me.  They  have  received  me  with  the  most  cordial  and  frank 
manner  and  have  put  everything  at  my  disposal  for  study  in 
the  way  of  administration  and  shop  management.  I  have 
already  had  several  consultations  with  the  different  Sea  Lords, 
and  have  visited  Chatham  Navy  Yard,  spending  the  entire  day 
there. 

I  am  much  impressed  with  the  manner  in  which  they  are 
handling  their  deserters.  They  have  camps  of  detention  instead 
of  prisons.  They  have  no  prison  guards  and  nothing  to  humil 
iate  the  offender  beyond  strict  training  and  reduced  rations.  I 
am  strongly  of  the  opinion  that  we  should  make  an  entire  change 
in  our  system  of  punishment  for  those  who  desert,  as  in  many 
instances  it  is  done  in  great  ignorance  on  the  part  of  the  blue 
jacket. 

I  am  to  inspect  some  of  the  great  private  shipyards,  and 
later  shall  go  to  the  Portsmouth  Yard. 

I  am  much  concerned  to  think  that  you  are  being  detained 
in  Washington  during  all  this  heated  spell  and  that  Congress 
is  still  in  session.  I  know  how  unlimited  your  patience  is ;  may 
your  strength  be  fully  equal  to  the  occasion ! 

With  sincere  regards, 

Respectfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 


484  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

To  Mrs.  Meyer 

1  WREST  PARK,  AMPTHILL,  BEDFORDSHIRE, 
Sunday,  August  13,  1911. 

It  is  my  sixth  day  in  England,  but  it  seems  longer,  I  have 
been  doing  so  much.  .  .  .  Reached  Liverpool  at  8  o'clock 
A.M.  and  took  the  train  a*  9,  reaching  London  at  1  o'clock,  in 
time  for  lunch. 

We  were  met  at  the  station  by  Elliot  Bacon  and  the  Naval 
Attache,  and  taken  in  autos  to  Dorchester  House,  where  we 
had  a  formal  lunch  with  the  Ambassador  and  Mrs.  Reid. 

After  lunch  I  picked  up  Whitney  [Warren]  at  Ritz,  saw 
Mrs.  Vanderbilt  (Grace),  who  told  me  I  should  have  come  a 
week  earlier  and  accepted  her  invitation  to  stay  on  the  North 
Star  and  have  met  the  King  and  Queen  of  England,  and  King 
of  Spain,  and  several  other  celebrities.  It  makes  a  much  better 
impression  at  home  for  me  to  go  to  the  Admiralty  as  soon  as 
I  get  here,  than  to  spend  a  week  on  arrival  at  Cowes  flitting 
about  —  bowing  from  the  waist ! 

Tuesday  afternoon  Whit  and  I  called  on  Mr.  Morgan  at 
Princess  Gate,  found  him  in,  and  he  personally  conducted  us 
and  showed  his  entire  collection.  It  is  marvellously  fine.  He 
wants  to  bring  it  to  U.  S.  Later  he  insisted  upon  our  going  to 
Dover  House,  his  father's  farm  in  the  outskirts  of  London,  250 
acres,  and  dining  there.  We  found  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marcoe. 

Wednesday  morning  I  spent  at  the  Admiralty  calling  on 
the  First  Lord,  which  corresponds  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 
He  sent  for  the  different  Sea  Lords  to  meet  me,  and  they  gave 
me  a  very  cordial  reception  and  showed  a  willingness  to  let  me 
see  whatever  I  wanted.  In  the  afternoon  went  to  the  House  of 
Lords,  sat  in  the  Diplomatic  Gallery  with  Benckendorff,  Rus 
sian  Ambassador,  Count  Wrangel,  and  the  Italian  Ambassador, 
Imperiali.  The  feeling  has  been  very  intense  over  the  House  of 
Lords  bill. 


ma-ism     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       485 

That  night  Reid  gave  his  big  dinner  —  all  men.  I  had 
Lord  Kitchener  on  my  right  and  the  First  Lord  of  the 
Admiralty  on  my  left  —  Sydney  Buxton,  P.M.G.,  Winston 
Churchill,  Sir  Edward  Seymour,  Lord  Paget,  Harcourt, 
etc.,  etc.  Kitchener  was  very  interesting  and  asked  me  to  come 
and  visit  him  some  time  while  he  was  head  [?]  of  Egypt  at 
Cairo.  When  the  cigars  were  brought,  Reid  asked  me  to  change 
seats  with  him,  and  that  put  me  between  Sir  Edward  Grey 
and  Lord  Bristol.  Grey,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  is  one  of 
the  interesting  men  of  England. 

It  was  a  memorable  occasion  and  I  had  interesting  con 
versations  with  many  present.  McKenna  said  to  me,  "  You  know 
you  have  a  big  reputation  in  this  country  "  —  rather  a  nice 
bouquet,  even  if  it  was  exaggerated. 

Thursday,  Whitney  and  I  had  an  ideal  day  together ; 
automobiled  to  Cambridge  and  spent  the  day  in  the  University, 
and  got  back  in  time  for  dinner. 

The  Ambassador  and  I  went  to  the  House  of  Lords,  where 
the  excitement  was  intense;  heard  Rosebery,  Curzon,  Halsbury, 
and  Lansdowne  speak;  then  saw  the  division,  which  will  be 
historical  and  has  resulted  in  the  disposition  of  the  House  of 
Lords  and  a  one-chamber  government.1 

Friday  I  spent  the  day  at  the  great  Chatham  Navy  Yard, 
later  arriving  at  Cliveden  at  7  P.M.  Nancy  2  is  in  the  same  won 
derful  spirits.  .  .  .  Present  Crown  Prince  of  Roumania, 
Lord  Winterton,  Mrs.  Drew  (Gladstone's  daughter).  .  .  . 
Winterton  very  agreeable,  sense  of  humour,  and  wide  awake. 
Nancy  very  amusing.  .  .  .  Astor  is  now  an  M.P.  I  should 
have  liked  to  stay  on,  the  Connaughts  were  coming,  but  I  had 
promised  the  Reids.  .  .  .  The  heat  has  been  intense  —  every 

1  The  division  in  the  House  of  Lords  on  the  Parliament  Bill  occurred 
August  10. 

2  Mrs.  Waldorf  Astor. 


486  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER       ltim-uu 

day  at  Cliveden  we  dined  on  the  terrace;  have  every  door  and 
window  closed. 

The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  I  have  struck  up  a 
friendship! 


To  Mrs.  Meyer 

Sunday,  August  2%,  1911. 

MILLDEN  LODGE,  EDZELL,   FORFARSHIRE. 

Here  I  am,  after  four  days  of  delightful  weather  and  fine 
shooting,  and  now  I  am  trying  to  get  away  to  Glasgow,  but  I 
am  afraid  that  I  am  tied  up  by  the  great  strike.  It  looks  as 
though  no  trains  would  be  allowed  to  move.  The  government 
seems  helpless.  .  .  . 

Last  Monday  Sydney  Buxton,  a  member  of  the  Cabinet, 
gave  me  a  dinner  on  House  of  Commons  Terrace:  the  First 
Lord  of  the  Admiralty,  Sir  Gilbert  Parker,  Mr.  Birrell,  Secre 
tary  for  Ireland,  Loreburn,  Harcourt,  T.  P.  O'Connor,  and 
several  members  of  Parliament.  It  was  most  interesting. 

Tuesday  night  I  left  for  Scotland,  as  the  heat  had  been 
intense  ever  since  I  got  to  England.  Mrs.  Vanderbilt  has  asked 
me  to  join  them  on  the  yacht  at  Trouville,  and  we  were  to  dine 
one  night  with  Princess  Daisy  Pless  and  the  next  with  Duchess 
of  Marlborough;  but  I  decided  shooting  on  the  moors  would 
be  the  best. 

The  Somssichs  asked  me  to  stay  with  them  in  Paris,  but 
one  is  more  independent  in  a  hotel;  and  Princess  May 
Furstenberg  has  asked  me  to  visit  them  in  Austria  near 
Salzburg,  but  I  do  not  see  how  I  can  arrange  to  spare  the 
time. 

The  Reids  have  shown  me  unbounded  hospitality,  put  the 
house,  automobile  and  everything  at  my  disposal.  Mrs.  Jones 
and  her  daughter  Trixey,  Dr.  Kinnicutt,  Bertie  Hay,  Victor 
Sorchon  and  Willie  Hoffman  are  all  here. 


1909-mai     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       487 

To  the  political  perplexities  which  in  March  of 
1912  began  to  assail  the  friends  of  Theodore  Roosevelt 
who  were  also  friends  of  President  Taft  —  and  most 
of  all  the  members  of  the  Taft  administration  — 
Meyer  was  by  no  means  immune.  It  was  a  period 
of  much  difficulty  for  any  one  holding  the  personal 
relations  in  which  Meyer  stood  toward  the  two  con 
spicuous  figures  of  the  Republican  party.  Had  he  not 
so  completely  retained  the  friendship  of  Roosevelt, 
even  to  the  point  which  made  him  one  of  the  chief 
advocates  of  Roosevelt's  nomination  by  the  Repub 
licans  in  1916,  his  attitude  toward  the  occurrences  of 
1912  would  be  a  painful  topic  of  discussion.  As  it  is, 
some  idea  of  his  position  at  the  time  should  be  given. 
It  was  a  position  of  genuine  distress.  His  private  let 
ters  show  how  strongly  he  felt  that  Colonel  Roosevelt 
would  not  have  announced  his  candidacy  for  the  presi 
dential  nomination  had  he  consulted  his  best  friends. 
The  correspondence  shows  also  that  before  this  an 
nouncement  was  made  Meyer  was  virtually  certain  that 
nothing  of  the  sort  would  occur.  A  fellow-member  of 
Mr.  Taft's  cabinet  reports  that  about  two  weeks  be 
fore  the  unexpected  announcement  Meyer  went  to 
Roosevelt  and  expressed  his  readiness  to  resign  from 
the  Cabinet  and  to  support  him  if  he  decided  to 
run  for  the  presidency.  Assured  that  this  was  not 
to  be,  he  naturally  determined  to  remain  where  he 
was,  and  throughout  the  campaign  gave  his  complete 
and  loyal  support  to  the  candidacy  of  President 
Taft. 

A  letter  to  President  Taft  in  the  campaign  sum- 


488  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER       W09-ms 

mer  of  1912  will  speak  for  Meyer's  interest  in  the 
impending  election. 


To  President  Toft 

HAMILTON,  MASSACHUSETTS, 

August  6,  1912. 
MY  DEAR  MR.  PRESIDENT,  — 

Thank  you  for  your  letter  of  recent  date.  I  have  read 
your  speech  of  acceptance  with  great  interest.  I  wish  there 
was  some  way  that  we  could  compel  every  individual  voter  in 
the  country  to  read  every  word  of  it.  If  that  could  be  accom 
plished,  there  would  be  no  doubt  in  my  mind  as  to  the  result 
of  the  November  election.  It  should  be  the  principal  campaign 
document  from  now  on.  In  addition  to  that,  I  wish  a  digest 
might  be  made  by  the  National  Committee  of  the  principal 
points  and  the  same  distributed  as  leaflets  throughout  the  coun 
try,  with  the  following  heading  from  Root's  speech  with  his 
name  added :  "  Your  title  to  the  nomination  is  as  clear  and  unim 
peachable  as  the  title  of  any  candidate  of  any  party  since 
political  conventions  began."  The  constant  assertion  by  the 
Insurgents  that  your  nomination  was  stolen  is  having  some 
effect  among  voters  who  do  not  follow  politics  carefully  —  for 
instance,  the  Boston  Journal,  owned  by  Munsey,  has  quite  a 
circulation  in  Vermont  and  northern  New  England  and  has,  I 
learn,  prejudiced  a  number  of  voters.  I  have  talked  with 
Easterbrook  of  New  Hampshire  about  arranging  to  have 
Williams  counteract  that  in  Vermont  before  the  State  election. 

I  asked  Captain  Palmer  *  to  go  and  see  you  about  arrang 
ing  to  have  you  attend  the  mobilization  of  the  fleet  at  New 
York  about  the  middle  of  October.  There  will  be  thirty  battle 
ships  there  instead  of  twenty-five  last  year  and  a  great  demon- 

i  Captain  (now  Rear- Admiral )  Leigh  C.  Palmer,  Secretary  Meyer's 
personal  Aid  at  the  time. 


1909-1913]     SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       489 

stration ;  also  that  I  was  very  desirous  to  have  you  attend  the 
launching  of  the  battleship  New  York  in  the  Brooklyn  Navy 
Yard  at  the  same  time.  It  will  please  the  workmen  and  have  a 
very  good  effect  in  Brooklyn  before  election.  Palmer  has  not 
yet  reported  to  me,  so  I  am  not  sure  that  he  found  you. 

I  was  sorry  to  hear  of  the  death  of  Mrs.  Taft's  father. 
Please  express  to  her  my  sympathy  in  her  affliction. 

Believe  me, 

1  Faithfully  yours, 

GEORGE  v.  L.  MEYER. 

In  a  vein  not  hitherto  touched,  a  letter  written 
after  the  national  election  of  1912  had  resulted  in 
disaster  to  the  Republican  party  reveals  something  of 
the  cheerful  spirit  in  which  Meyer  was  carrying  on  the 
work  of  the  Department. 


To  Mrs.  C.  A.  Goss 

November  19,  1Q12. 
MY  DEAR  MADAM,  — 

In  compliance  with  your  request  of  the  21st  instant  for 
an  autograph  letter  for  the  Bazaar  of  the  First  Methodist  Epis 
copal  Church  of  Omaha,  I  venture  to  cite  the  fact  that  the 
wisest  of  men  and  the  greatest  of  administrators,  King  Solomon, 
maintained  a  Navy  nearly  three  thousand  years  ago,  as  shown 
in  1  Kings,  x,  22-23:  — 

"  For  the  king  had  at  sea  a  navy.     .    .    . 
"  So  King  Solomon  exceeded  all  the  kings  of  the  earth  for 
riches  and  for  wisdom." 

Wishing  success  for  your  enterprise,  believe  me, 
Very  truly  yours, 

G.  v.  L.  MEYER. 


490  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Another  note,  to  his  successor  in  office,  may  be 
taken  to  remind  one  that  the  good  sportsman's  instinct 
did  not  desert  Meyer  as  he  was  about  to  quit  the  work 
he  had  so  greatly  enjoyed.  **• 

To  Hon.  Josephus  Daniels 

February  27,  1918. 
DEAR  MR.  DANIELS,  — 

Allow  me  to  congratulate  you  on  the  prospect  of  becoming 
Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

It  would  give  me  great  pleasure  to  extend  to  you  the 
courtesy  of  the  Department  and  to  enable  you,  before  the 
fourth  of  March,  to  familiarize  yourself  with  such  duties  of  the 
office  as  you  desire.  I  should  also  like  to  have  the  opportunity 
of  presenting  to  you  the  various  Aids  and  Bureau  Chiefs. 

It  has  been  my  privilege  to  serve  as  Secretary  of  the  Navy 
for  four  years,  and  I  have  never  worked  with  men  who  have  such 
unselfish  and  patriotic  motives  as  the  officers  of  the  United 
States  Navy. 

Yours  truly, 

G.  v.  L.  MEYER. 

There  are  no  further  words  of  Meyer's  own  that 
need  to  be  added  to  this  account  of  his  work  in  the 
Navy  Department.  A  few  words  from  others  will 
complete  the  story.  A  widespread  admiration  of  what 
he  had  done  found  many  expressions  —  none  more 
gratifying,  it  may  well  be  imagined,  than  a  portion 
of  a  letter  from  a  retired  rear-admiral,  writing  in 
the  last  year  of  Meyer's  administration :  "  Permit  me 
to  take  the  liberty  to  add  that,  in  my  opinion,  you  are, 
in  every  respect,  the  most  efficient  Secretary  of  the 


SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY       491 

Navy  who  has  held  the  office  during  my  service  therein, 
covering  more  than  49  years.  I  know  that,  in  saying 
this,  I  am  voicing  the  opinion  of  most  of  the  older 
officers,  some  of  whom  saw  service  long  before  the 
Civil  War." 

From  Meyer's  kinsman  arid  friend,  Bishop  Law 
rence  of  Massachusetts,  came  a  note,  dated  March  2, 
1913:  "Now  that  you  are  laying  down  public  office, 
at  least  for  a  time,  I  cannot  help  sending  you  this  line 
of  congratulation  upon  the  way  in  which  you  have 
filled  every  office  that  you  have  held  in  city  and  in 
state,  as  Ambassador,  and  as  member  of  the  Cabinet. 
With  industry,  ability,  and  dignity  you  have  done 
yourself,  your  family,  and  your  country  honour." 

A  later  estimate  of  Meyer's  work  for  the  Navy,  by 
Rear-Admiral  Richard  Wainwright,  the  first  of 
Meyer's  Aids  for  Operations,  appeared  in  the  Boston 
Transcript  immediately  upon  his  death.  In  it  these 
sentences  are  found:  "  Some  Secretaries  of  the  Navy 
have  had  more  opportunities  to  show  their  administra 
tive  ability,  but  none  have  made  better  use  of  their 
opportunities.  Under  Mr.  Meyer,  for  the  first  time 
since  the  establishment  of  the  bureau  system  in  the 
Navy  Department,  the  fleet  was  placed  under  the 
control  of  the  military  branch  of  the  Navy,  and  his 
tory  will  record  that  the  high  standing  of  the  Ameri 
can  fleet  during  this  war  was  partly  due  to  the  firm 
foundation  established  by  George  von  L.  Meyer  when 
Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

Apart  from  the  testimony  of  words  Meyer  received 
as  a  parting  gift  from  officers  of  the  Navy  —  limited 


492  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER        VM9-i9is 

in  their  subscriptions  toward  it  to  the  sum  of  one  dol 
lar  apiece  —  a  silver  model  of  a  galleon.  This  token 
of  appreciation  was  most  dearly  prized,  for  its  genuine 
representation  of  a  feeling  that  corresponded  with 
Meyer's  own  for  the  personnel  of  the  Navy. 


VII 

THE  FINAL  YEAES 
(1913-1918) 

WHEN  the  Republican  party  passed  out  of  power  in 
1913  —  after  a  tenure  of  office  unbroken,  save  by  the 
two  terms  of  President  Cleveland,  since  the  inaugura 
tion  of  Lincoln  in  1861  —  Mr.  Meyer  became  again,  for 
the  first  time  in  many  years,  a  mere  private  citizen. 
His  public  career  had  been  closely  identified  with  his 
political  party,  to  which  his  entire  loyalty  was  given. 
It  would  not  be  strange  if  the  political  historian  of  the 
United  States  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth 
century  should  find  in  the  year  1913  the  ending  of  an 
old  order,  the  beginning  of  a  new.  It  was  only  a  year 
later  that  the  entire  world  began  to  undergo  the 
transformation  which  since  then  has  fallen  upon  it. 
The  Germany,  and,  still  more,  the  Russia  which  Meyer 
had  known  could  hardly  be  recognized  by  a  re-visitant 
to-day.  In  the  new  period  of  universal  change  our 
own  country  can  hardly  expect  to  escape  unaltered, 
and  it  is  by  no  means  beyond  the  bounds  of  possi 
bility  that  the  American  public  life  in  which  Meyer 
held  so  conspicuous  a  place  will  never  again  be  quite 
what  it  was  in  the  years  between  1900  and  the  out 
break  of  the  great  war. 

498 


494  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Certainly  Meyer  himself  was  in  many  respects  a 
typical  figure  of  his  period  —  a  remarkably  efficient  man 
of  affairs  applying  his  energies  and  his  keen  intelli 
gence  to  the  public  service,  putting  into  useful  prac 
tice  the  principle  embodied  in  the  maxim  to  which 
attention  was  drawn  in  the  early  pages  of  this  book, 
"  The  soul's  joy  Lies  in  the  doing."  Typically  Ameri 
can  as  his  career  was  in  these  aspects,  there  were  others 
-notably  those  of  its  social  background  and  affilia 
tions  —  in  which  more  frequent  precedents  for  it  would 
be  found  in  England  than  here.  Perhaps  still  more 
for  this  reason  it  represented  what  is  coming,  in  spite 
of  its  nearness  in  point  of  time,  to  be  known  as  the 
old  order  —  an  ante  bellum  order  which  in  future  may 
seem  to  make  of  the  year  1914  as  clear  a  line  of  divi 
sion  as  1861  has  hitherto  been.  Meyer  did  not  live 
to  see  the  transition  accomplished.  The  first  steps  in 
it,  however,  fell  under  his  observation,  and  since  he 
had  become  of  necessity  more  an  observer  of  national 
affairs  than  a  participant  in  their  control,  with  the 
"  joy  of  doing "  thus  curtailed,  the  spectacle  could 
hardly  have  yielded  him  much  satisfaction. 

There  were  nevertheless  many  things  to  be  done. 
Freed  from  the  cares  of  office,  Meyer  soon  began  to 
concern  himself  more  actively  with  the  affairs  of  his 
own  business  and  his  various  directorates.  The  num 
ber  of  these  was  increased  in  1913  by  his  election  as  a 
director  of  the  Merchants  National  Bank  in  Boston. 
His  service  on  the  Board  of  Overseers  of  Harvard 
College,  to  which  he  had  been  elected  in  1911  for  the 
term  of  six  years,  claimed  an  increasing  measure  of 


1913-19181  THE  FINAL  YEARS  495 

his  attention  from  the  time  of  his  election  to  the  presi 
dency  of  that  body  in  1914.  But  from  March  of  1913 
until  the  outbreak  of  the  war  in  Europe  his  life  was 
chiefly  that  of  a  man  of  affairs  and  society,  readjust 
ing  himself  to  new  conditions  of  leisure  and  oppor 
tunity.  The  war  changed  all  that  —  as  it  did  for 
every  one. 

In  the  summer  before  the  war  began  Meyer  had 
one  outstanding  experience,  of  which  he  himself  made 
a  complete  chronicle.  This  was  his  final  meeting  with 
Kaiser  Wilhelm.  Meyer  was  visiting  Europe  in  the 
summer  of  1913  with  his  wife,  for  a  cure  at  Kissingen, 
when  he  received  an  invitation  to  lunch  with  the  Kaiser 
on  his  yacht,  the  Hohenzollern.  The  conversation 
which  took  place  on  this  occasion,  not  only  with  the 
Emperor  but  also  with  the  officers  attending  him,  was 
interesting  enough  at  the  time;  in  the  light  which  sub 
sequent  events  have  thrown  upon  it,  the  significance 
of  it  all  has  become  extraordinary.  This  is  Mr. 
Meyer's  record  of  the  day :  — 

On  August  7,  1913,  I  took  the  train  from  Berlin  at  7.30 
A.M.  for  Swinemiinde,  arriving  at  11  A.M.,  and,  not  being 
expected  on  the  Hohenzollern  until  1  o'clock,  I  went  to  the 
hotel.  As  it  was  not  very  inviting,  I  walked  in  the  park  belong 
ing  to  the  town,  which  delighted  me  because  it  had  been  left 
wild,  with  alleys  cut  through  the  woods  meeting  from  four 
directions  at  circles,  and  an  unexpected  simple  little  inn  with 
roses  climbing  the  walls. 

At  five  minutes  before  one  I  approached  the  Royal  White 
Yacht,  lying  beside  the  pier.  It  was  a  brilliant  day  with  a  sun 
which  reminded  one  of  Italy.  Only  a  rope  and  a  couple  of  senti- 


496  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

nels  kept  the  good-natured  and  interested  crowd  about  200  feet 
from  the  ship.  I  was  not  challenged  or  stopped  by  the  guard 
although  I  presented  no  card;  probably  my  garb  showed  that 
I  must  have  been  an  invited  guest,  and  not  a  bomb-thrower.  I 
found  all  the  guests  were  in  uniform  —  as  is  usually  the  case 
in  royal  parties  in  Germany. 

I  was  the  last  to  arrive,  with  every  one  already  assembled 
on  the  main  deck,  the  Kaiser  being  further  forward  talking 
with  Admiral  Muller. 

One  of  the  Masters  of  Ceremony  went  up  and  called  His 
Majesty's  attention  to  my  arrival.  He  came  forward  at  once 
in  a  most  cordial  way,  shook  hands  and  said  he  was  glad  to 
see  me  again,  asked  after  my  family,  then  added :  "  I  want  to 
congratulate  you  on  your  administration  of  the  American  Navy 
for  the  past  four  years.  I  consider  you  the  American  von  Tir- 
pitz.1  What  is  your  successor  going  to  do  with  the  Navy?" 
"  I  am  worried,"  I  replied,  "  because  he  seems  to  be  more  inter 
ested  in  the  civil  than  the  military  end."  I  recalled  to  His 
Majesty's  mind  a  remark  that  he  made  when  I  lunched  at  the 
Palace  in  Berlin  nearly  seven  years  ago  as  I  was  returning  home 
from  St.  Petersburg  to  enter  President  Roosevelt's  Cabinet: 
"  You  are  liable  some  day  to  have  trouble  with  Japan,  and  if  it 
does  happen  it  will  probably  occur  just  before  your  Panama 
Canal  opens."  "  Last  winter,"  I  added,  "  when  the  Japanese 
land-owning  difficulty  began  in  California,  I  remembered  your 

i  It  need  only  be  said  that  in  1913  the  Kaiser  had  no  higher  praise 
to  bestow  upon  a  naval  official  than  this.  He  was  quoting  from  himself 
when  he  called  Meyer  "the  American  von  Tirpitz,"  for  about  two  months 
earlier  he  had  written  this  phrase  on  a  luncheon  menu  and  handed  it  to 
an  American  naval  officer,  Captain  A.  P.  Niblack,  who  on  September  4, 
1913,  wrote  to  Mr.  Meyer  as  follows:  "I  see  by  the  newspapers  that  you 
were  in  Germany  recently  and  dined  or  lunched  with  the  German  Emperor 
on  board  the  Hohenzollern.  You  have  therefore  probably  heard  in  person 
the  nice  things  he  has  to  say  to  you.  However,  you  may  value  the 
enclosed  '  testimonial.'  I  lunched  on  June  12,  1913,  at  Dobnitz  near  Berlin 
with  the  Emperor  at  a  review  of  a  cavalry  brigade,  and  he  wrote  on  the 
back  of  a  luncheon  menu  his  compliments  to  you.  I  enclose  the  menu." 

The  Emperor's  autograph  note  is  reproduced  herewith. 


3   ^ 


^ 


na-uusi  THE  FINAL  YEARS  497 

prophecy,  Sire,  but  I  had  been  working  to  obtain  the  highest 
military  efficiency  through  a  council  of  aids,  the  fleet  had  been 
kept  intact  and  had  shown  good  marksmanship."  "  Yes,"  re 
marked  the  Emperor,  "  and  as  long  as  you  keep  your  fleet  de 
cidedly  more  powerful  than  theirs,  you  will  not  be  attacked,  and 
at  present  they  are  very  hard  up  and  short  of  funds." 

I  related  to  His  Majesty  how  we  (my  wife  and  daughter, 
Julia)  had  automobiled  from  Cherbourg  to  Kissingen,  via  Paris, 
and  later  to  Berlin;  that  we  had  passed  through  innumerable 
German  cities  and  towns,  and  that  I  was  much  impressed  with 
the  signs  of  prosperity  everywhere,  never  any  sign  of  squalor. 
"  I  was  much  impressed,"  said  the  Emperor,  "  on  the  twenty- 
fifth  anniversary  of  my  reign ;  in  Berlin  there  were  no  hooligans, 
and  the  crowds  were  well-to-do  looking." 

Breakfast  was  then  announced  by  Count  L.  and  I  was 
told  to  follow  the  Emperor.  General  von  Plessen  joined  me 
and  recalled  a  dinner  that  former  Ambassador  Tower  had  given 
the  Emperor  in  Berlin  at  the  American  Embassy,  and  at  which 
he  (von  Plessen)  had  taken  my  wife  into  dinner. 

The  General  in  command  of  the  Military  Division  of 
Stettin  sat  on  the  Emperor's  right  and  I  on  his  left,  although 
the  Chief  of  Staff,  Count  von  Moltke,  and  the  Minister  of  War 
were  both  at  the  breakfast.  Admiral  Muller  was  on  my  left, 
and  the  company  was  entirely  composed  of  about  twenty-two 
officers,  military  and  naval. 

For  the  first  few  minutes  the  Emperor  talked  with  the 
General,  and  after  that  turned  to  me  and  conversed  in  a  most 
animated  and  interesting  way  for  the  remainder  of  the  breakfast. 

First  of  all  he  wanted  to  know  about  the  new  American 
Ambassador  —  Judge  Gerard.  As  I  had  known  him  for  several 
years  (although  not  as  well  as  his  brother,  Sumner)  I  could 
say  that  I  knew  him,  and  had  lately  met  him  in  Paris,  and  the 
day  before  in  Berlin;  that  he  wanted  to  take  a  proper  house 


498  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

for  an  Ambassador,  yet  he  was  timid  about  doing  so  without 
consulting  his  Chief  in  Washington  on  account  of  the  much 
exaggerated,  so-called  Jeffersonian  simplicity  of  the  Demo 
cratic  party.  The  Emperor  hoped  he  would  keep  up  the  pres 
tige  of  an  Ambassador,  adding  that  in  no  Court  was  so  much 
attention  paid  to  an  Ambassador  as  in  Berlin.  "  In  a  monarchy 
there  must  naturally  be  more  attention  paid  to  formality;  it 
has  been  our  custom."  Evidently  if  Gerard  takes  a  house  that 
compares  favourably  with  the  other  Embassies,  and  does  his 
share  (he  personally  has  the  means  to  do  so)  it  will  please 
the  Emperor  and  surely  smooth  the  way  for  him.  .  .  . 

The  feeling  between  England  and  Germany  was  touched 
on,  I  stating  that  I  thought  it  had  improved  in  the  last  six 
months.  "  Yes,"  he  said,  "  because  England  in  these  Balkan 
troubles  realizes  that  we  are  more  her  friend  than  any  of  the 
other  nations.  The  King  of  England's  visit  to  Germany  (on 
the  occasion  of  my  daughter's  wedding)  has  opened  his  eyes." 
The  Emperor  added,  "  I  cannot  understand  Sir  Edward  Grey 
having  been  made  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs;  he  does  not 
speak  any  foreign  language,  and  therefore  is  useless  to  travel 
around  with  the  King  in  foreign  countries,  as  he  would  be 
unable  to  discuss  policies ;  besides  he  is  absolutely  dependent  on 
Nicolson  and  others  in  their  Foreign  Office."  Evidently  the 
Emperor  did  not  like  him,  but  I  could  not  help  saying :  "  Yet 
Grey  really  has  a  charming  personality." 

The  Kaiser  then  suddenly  said,  "I  have  never  forgotten 
a  remark  you  made  in  the  garden  of  the  Schloss  at  Homburg 
on  your  way  home  (in  1907)  from  St.  Petersburg.  Do  you 
remember?  We  had  an  interesting  talk  over  the  Russian- Japa 
nese  war,  and  the  bringing  about  of  the  Peace  Conference  at 
Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  which  you  arranged  with  the  Tsar,  and 
which  I  was  able  to  assist  from  the  Berlin  end."  "  I  have  for 
gotten,  Sire,"  I  replied.  "  Why,  I  told  you  of  my  uncle's  (the 


1913-1918}  THE  FINAL  YEARS  499 

King  of  England)  feeling  towards  me,  due  in  part  to  the  Ger 
man  world  invasion  commercially,  and  you  said  that  Edward 
VII  felt  that  he  was  —  on  account  of  his  age  —  what  we  call  in 
America  *  a  has-been ! ' 

I  then  referred  to  the  King  of  England  sending  me  word 
in  London  after  I  had  been  in  Berlin  (1907)  that  he  would  like 
to  see  me,  and  in  my  audience  at  Buckingham  Palace  I  realized 
that  there  was  a  certain  curiosity  on  his  part  about  my  meeting 
the  German  Emperor  before  I  came  to  London;  but  being  so 
much  of  a  gentleman  he  did  not  press  it. 

The  Kaiser,  speaking  of  having  reigned  twenty-five  years, 
called  attention  to  the  continuance  of  peace  throughout  his 
Empire ;  —  "  and  yet  in  the  past  the  world  has  believed  me  war 
like."  u  But,"  I  added,  "  history  with  the  eyes  of  unprejudice 
will  judge  otherwise." 

I  then  mentioned  my  visit  to  England  two  years  ago  when 
I  was  there  in  the  summer  to  study  the  English  Navy,  and  how 
I  found  the  topic  of  conversation  everywhere  after  dinner  was 
the  German  invasion,  and  its  probability,  which  was  even  being 
seriously  considered  in  the  Admiralty. 

"  Why,  we  never  intended  such  a  thing,"  quickly  responded 
the  Emperor.  "  We  intend  and  will  continue  to  increase  in  | 
every  way  possible  the  efficiency  of  our  army,  and  build  up  a 
strong  navy  —  not  to  make  war,  but  to  ensure  peace,  which  my 
reign  —  extending  over  twenty-five  years  —  demonstrates  and 
proves." 

He  then  called  attention  to  the  English-Japanese  Treaty 
—  "  a  most  unwise  action  on  England's  part :  it  was  brought 
about  by  fear  of  Russia,  England  not  realizing  that  Russia  had  * 
been  bluffing.  Why,  Russia  would  not  have  been  a  dangerous 
commercial  competitor  in  the  East;  and  Japan  is,  and  will 
seriously  and  finally  impede  English  trade.  But  for  that  treaty 
Japan  would  not  have  dared  to  attack  Russia." 


500  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

"  Yes,  Sire,"  I  answered,  "  I  have  always  felt  that  England 
was  in  a  great  part  responsible  for  Japan's  present  prominence 
as  a  world  power.  I  used  to  embarrass  Sir  Arthur  Nicolson  — 
the  British  Ambassador  in  St.  Petersburg  —  by  asking  him  if 
England  would  be  obliged  to  attack  us  in  case  of  war  between 
the  United  States  and  Japan." 

I  took  this  opportunity  to  tell  His  Majesty  that  his  Mili 
tary  Attache  —  Major  von  Herwarth  —  at  Washington  was  as 
well  posted  as  any  diplomat  there,  and  that  he  had  a  better 
understanding  of  our  problems  than  was  usual. 

Breakfast  was  served  with  despatch,  and  the  food  was 
evidently  prepared  by  a  French  chef  or  with  French  training  — 
certainly  not  typically  German  cooking.  The  strawberries 
served  were  so  delicious  that  I  longed  for  a  second  helping,  but 
I  refrained  from  asking  for  any,  as  —  much  to  my  regret  — 
'the  Emperor  did  not  invite  it.  The  Kaiser  giving  the  signal, 
every  one  rose  and  I  held  back  as  he  went  out  on  the  deck,  not 
desiring  to  appear  as  trying  to  monopolize  his  attention. 

I  walked  out  with  General  von  Plessen,  who  related  some 
of  his  experiences  in  America  with  Prince  Henry.  "  Most 
agreeable,"  as  he  added,  "  but  rather  strenuous ! " 

After  lighting  his  cigarette  the  Emperor  addressed  a  few 
words  to  some  of  his  suite,  and  then  came  over  and  joined  the 
Minister  of  War,  General  von  Falkenhayn,  and  myself.  He 
dwelt  on  the  importance  in  the  future  of  the  Teutonic  races 
pulling  together,  and  not  fighting  among  themselves  and  weak 
ening  their  resources  for  the  struggle  with  the  yellow  races 
which  must  come  some  day. 

He  then  called  over  the  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army  — 
General  Count  von  Moltke — and  from  time  to  time  helped 
himself  from  the  General's  cigarette  case.  Probably  in  addi 
tion  to  being  Chief  of  Staff  he  is  Keeper  of  the  Royal  Cigarette 
Case! 


ttu-mai          THE  FINAL  YEARS  501 

Up  to  this  time  the  Emperor  had  spoken  in  English;  now 
with  von  Moltke  and  the  Minister  of  War  he  enlarged  in  Ger 
man  on  the  history  of  the  Teutonic  races  and  what  they  had 
accomplished.  I  referred  to  a  quotation  from  Chamberlain's 
"  Foundations  of  the  19th  Century,"  with  which  His  Majesty 
agreed,  and  spoke  also  in  the  most  complimentary  manner  of  this 
work  by  Chamberlain,  whom  he  practically  considered  a  German. 
The  Emperor  added,  "  His  chapter  on  the  Jews  is  also  worth 
reading." 

It  was  evident  in  the  course  of  conversation  that  he  had  a 
very  poor  opinion  of  Ferdinand  of  Bulgaria,  and  said  he  was 
the  greatest  intriguer  in  Europe,  and  had  only  been  surpassed 
by  the  late  Leopold  of  Belgium. 

They  all  discussed  the  ammunition  used  in  the  late  Balkan 
war,  and  how  the  French  manufacturers  had  instigated  and 
circulated  false  stories  concerning  the  German  guns,  etc.,  used 
by  the  Turks.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  German  projectiles  had 
brought  about  the  best  results.  The  Greeks  had  demonstrated 
that,  and  it  was  the  German  projectiles,  the  Emperor  said, 
that  had  been  so  successful  against  the  Bulgarians.  Constan- 
tine  had  reported  this  direct  to  the  German  Emperor. 

Count  von  Moltke  asked  me  where  I  had  just  come  from, 
and  when  I  replied,  Kissingen,  the  Kaiser  said :  "  The  former 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  thinks  nothing  of  distance.  When  he 
was  Ambassador  at  Rome  he  ran  down  in  his  automobile  at  my 
invitation  to  Naples — just  to  dine  with  me  on  the  Hohen- 
zollern." 

All  this  time  we  had  been  standing  in  a  group  leaning 
against  the  gunwale.  It  was  then  3  o'clock  and  Count  L. 
came  up  and  announced  that  it  was  time  to  start  for  the 
train. 

The  various  guests  drew  their  heels  together  and  saluted 
the  Emperor,  and  as  I  was  about  to  take  my  leave  His  Majesty 


502  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

turned  to  me  and  asked  me  to  wait :  "  I  want  to  show  you  my 
maps." 

We  went  below,  and  in  his  saloon  were  arranged  maps 
showing  the  positions  of  the  various  armies  when  the  Balkan 
war  opened,  the  advances  of  the  different  armies,  and  their 
present  location.  In  this  way  he  had  kept  continually  posted 
and  in  touch  with  the  events  of  the  war.  The  Emperor  be 
lieves  that  it  is  not  advantageous  to  Europe  to  have  Turkey 
annihilated,  that  they  will  serve  as  a  barrier  to  Eastern  nations 
in  the  future.  He  was  evidently  much  pleased  that  the  King 
of  Greece  —  Constantine,  his  brother-in-law  —  had  gone  to  the 
front :  an  example  not  followed  by  the  other  rulers. 

As  I  left  I  mentioned  that  my  son-in-law  —  Lieutenant 
Raymond  Rodgers  —  might  some  day  come  to  Berlin  as  Naval 
Attache.  He  replied  that  he  hoped  he  would,  and  then  as  we 
parted  he  shook  hands,  saying  that  he  had  enjoyed  seeing  me 
again. 

At  the  station  I  found  the  Minister  of  War  and  von 
Moltke.  The  latter  was  disturbed,  having  lost  his  overcoat.  I 
was  able  to  describe  a  coat  which  had  been  offered  to  me  as  I 
was  leaving,  and  which  he  realized  was  his.  The  Hohenzollern 
being  connected  with  the  pier  by  telephone,  he  was  able  to  send 
word  for  it,  and  it  was  brought  by  a  sailor  just  as  the  train 
was  leaving. 

They  invited  me  to  go  in  their  carriage  to  Berlin,  and  I 
was  delighted  to  break  the  tedious  trip  in  their  company. 

When  I  had  been  presented  on  board  the  Hohenzollern 
to  the  Minister  of  War  I  congratulated  the  German  Army  on 
having  a  young  man  at  their  head.  He  bowed  and  was  evidently 
pleased,  but  retorted :  "  You  say  that  to  me,  and  yet  you  have 
already  been  Ambassador  to  Rome,  St.  Petersburg,  a  member 
of  Roosevelt's  Cabinet,  and  finally  Secretary  of  the  Navy  for 
four  years : "  a  retort  courteous.  He  asked  if  General  Wood 


THE  FINAL  YEARS  503 

would  be  able  to  come  out  to  the  manoeuvres  on  account  of  the 
Mexican  condition,  and  added :  "  It  looks  as  though  you  would 
finally  have  to  go  into  Mexico  some  day."  I  told  him  the  story 
that  the  Kaiser  told  me  at  lunch  of  the  occasion  when  Roose 
velt  was  at  the  manoeuvres,  and  his  son,  Kermit,  said  to  the 
daughter  of  the  Emperor  after  the  skirmish  was  over,  "  And 
now  I  suppose  they  will  begin  killing  the  prisoners." 

We  discussed  for  some  time  the  Panama  Canal  and  the 
effect  it  would  have.  He  said :  "  I  wonder  how  long  it  will  be 
before  the  locks  of  the  canal  will  have  to  be  enlarged.  We  have 
just  completed  widening  the  entire  Kiel  canal.  Transatlantic 
ships  are  rapidly  reaching  the  1,000- foot  limit  of  your  Panama 
locks." 

In  speak:ng  of  the  growth  and  splendour  of  Berlin  I  com 
plimented  them  upon  the  attractiveness  of  the  city,  and  how  it 
was  beginning  to  rival  Paris  in  certain  ways.  "  Ah !  but  Paris," 
he  said,  "  has  a  charm  of  its  own."  "  Yes,  quite  true,"  I  added, 
"  and  I  suppose  the  Emperor  has  never  been  there."  I  saw 
them  glance  at  each  other,  but  the  Minister  replied :  "  As  far  as 
we  know,  he  has  not."  I  apologized  at  once  and  said  that  I  had 
not  meant  it  in  an  inquisitive  way.  Evidently  the  story  that 
got  out  some  years  ago  that  the  Kaiser  had  been  there  incog, 
was  true.  Von  Moltke  pointed  out  at  that  moment  the  country 
which  was  the  Emperor's  game  preserve.  Then  he  told  me  of 
his  having  marched,  after  the  siege  of  Paris,  with  the  German 
Army  into  the  city,  through  the  Bois,  around  the  Arc  de 
Triomphe  (the  French  having  filled  it  with  debris  so  that  they 
could  not  march  through  it),  down  the  Champs  Ely  sees  to  the 
Place  de  la  Concorde  —  a  great  experience.  The  then  young 
Lieutenant  —  the  nephew  of  the  great  Moltke  —  is  himself 
at  the  present  time  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army. 

We  were  now  entering  Berlin  —  our  journey  was  over  — 
and  as  we  separated  I  wondered  if  these  two  men  would  ever  be 


504  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER       wu-aa 

called  upon  to  fulfil  the  requirements  and  accomplish  the  feats 
of  the  German  War  Office  of  two  generations  ago. 

In  the  year  between  this  glimpse  of  Germany  as 
Meyer  had  long  known  it  and  his  next  experience  of 
it,  at  the  very  moment  when  war  was  beginning,  his 
life  was  that  of  a  man  much  occupied  with  business 
and  society  in  his  own  country.  When  the  memorable 
summer  of  1914  came,  Meyer,  with  his  wife  and 
daughter  Julia  (now  Mme.  Brambilla),  sailed  for  Eu 
rope,  June  27,  on  the  Imperator,  with  delightful  plans 
for  visits  and  other  pleasures.  The  ship's  wireless 
brought  the  ill-boding  news  of  the  murder  at  Sarajevo 
on  June  28.  Landing  at  Hamburg  the  Meyers  went 
at  once  to  Berlin,  where  they  dined  with  the  American 
Ambassador,  Mr.  Gerard,  and  enjoyed  seeing  many 
friends  in  the  German  capital.  It  will  soon  be  seen 
that  there  was  no  more  fortunate  circumstance  of  their 
week  in  Berlin  than  Meyer's  calling  upon  von  Jagow, 
Secretary  of  State,  who  had  been  counsellor  of  the 
German  Embassy  in  Rome  ten  years  before,  and  von 
Jagow's  returning  of  this  call.  When  the  week  was 
done  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meyer  proceeded  to  Kissingen, 
where  they  were  to  take  the  cure,  and  Miss  Meyer,  to 
an  Italian  friend  near  Milan,  a  contemplated  visit  to 
the  Duchess  of  Aosta  having  been  postponed  by  reason 
of  the  Duke's  illness  from  typhoid  fever.  Of  their 
experiences  through  the  distracted  weeks  that  followed 
Mrs.  Meyer  has  written  the  following  account:  — 

The    three    weeks    of    cure    were    nearly    over   when  war 
rumours  reached  the  town.     Dr.  Dapper  cursed  and  swore, 


g  8  fl 

&so 


g        « 
3       b 


<    «  ^S       c 
R    »q       -    -  g  '^3 

y     j^    5  "O  ^_W 


"jl    «  ft,    cS 

c  a     O 


soo 


1913-1918]  THE  FINAL  YEARS  505 

knowing  it  was  the  death  knell  to  his  business,  and  said  it  was 
nonsense  and  to  pay  no  attention  to  these  rumours.  Yet  on 
many  trees  and  in  the  windows  of  shops  were  posters,  flaming 
with  the  hideous  word,  "  Krieg"  People  began  to  leave  very 
quietly:  one  missed  them  at  meals.  Countess  von  Wedcl,  whose 
two  sons  had  been  called,  left  for  Weimar.  H.E.  Mme.  Leghait,1 
advising  us  to  follow  suit,  also  left  at  once  for  Switzerland. 
Anxious  to  finish  our  cure,  and  not  as  anxious  as  we  should 
have  been  over  the  "  mobilization,"  we  remained  until  July  30, 
and  then  we  were  glad  to  leave,  for  the  troops  marching  by 
sang  Die  Wacht  am  Rhein  all  night,  and  filled  me  with  fear. 

A  great  comfort  was  that  a  telegram  came  from  Julia, 
where  she  was  visiting  Gladys  Szechenyi 2  in  Hungary,  that  she 
had  left  on  the  first  rumour  of  war  —  and  on  the  last  express 
out  of  Hungary.  So  we  knew  she  was  then  safe  in  England 
with  the  McCooks,  and  we  must  get  to  her  as  soon  as  possible. 

George  decided  on  Friday  evening,  July  29,  that  we  should 
leave  early  the  following  day.  The  sanitarium  by  this  time 
was  almost  empty  —  in  fact  was  closing  —  servants  having  been 
called  to  their  regiments.  Dapper  was  closing  some  of  his 
houses  and  planning  to  keep  some  for  hospitals,  if  they  were 
needed. 

On  Saturday  we  were  of  course  ready  early.  Kissingen 
was  quite  demoralized,  trains  uncertain,  trunks  piled  high  in 
the  station,  as  there  were  no  baggage  men  now.  Money  was 
difficult  to  get,  but  George  had  got  all  that  we  needed  the  day 
previous.  While  waiting  in  the  station  for  our  train  to  be 
ready  to  take  us  away  with  a  crowd  of  excited  people,  we  saw 
a  private  train  pull  out,  and  recognized  Prince  Youssoupoff 
in  the  window.  We  read  later  in  the  paper  that  he  and  his 
family  received  harsh  treatment  passing  through  Germany  on 
their  journey  to  Russia,  particularly  in  Berlin. 

1  Wife  of  the  Belgian  Minister  to  Portugal 

2  The  Countess  Szechenyi,  formerly  Miss  Gladys  Vanderbilt. 


506  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

In  the  compartment  with  us  were  the  Spanish  Secretary 
and  his  wife  on  their  way  back  to  their  post  in  Paris.  We  were 
glad  to  have  such  congenial  travelling  companions.  They  got 
much  excited  at  discovering  that  one  of  their  trunks  had  not 
been  put  on  the  train.  We  felt  very  proud  that  our  lot  —  five 
in  all  —  had  been  surely  put  on  at  Kissingen.  We  were  to  have 
a  fall  yet! 

We  reached  Stuttgart  at  midnight,  and  expected  to  be 
able  to  proceed  to  Paris,  but  learned  that  no  trains  were  run 
ning.  Rails  were  up  for  miles  across  the  border  of  France. 
Here  we  looked  for  our  trunks  —  nowhere  to  be  found!  How 
ever,  we  had  suit-cases  and  a  few  clothes,  and  trunks  seemed 
now  merely  extra  trouble  of  which  we  had  been  relieved.  So 
we  went  into  the  noisiest  hotel  ever  built  — right  over  the  station 
—  but  both  of  us  were  very  weary  and  glad  to  get  to  bed,  as  it 
was  then  after  midnight.  The  night  was  a  hideous  one,  with 
the  combination  of  electric  cars,  trains,  and  passing  troops. 

We  had  an  early  breakfast,  and  George  thought  we  might 
go  into  Switzerland  and  thence  to  France.  So,  with  Marie  and 
faithful  Andrew,1  we  started  for  Switzerland  on  a  train  that 
left  at  7  A.M.  We  travelled  with  no  interruption  as  far  as 
Carlsruhe,  and  there  we  were  side-tracked  and  left.  While 
George  was  out  investigating  and  consulting  any  official  that 
could  be  found  I  talked  with  a  woman  in  the  same  car.  She 
was  rushing  home  to  Switzerland  with  her  two  little  boys,  who 
were  so  excited  and  delighted  over  the  idea  of  war.  The  mother 
felt  very  differently  about  it. 

George  came  soon  and  got  me,  with  our  bags,  and  said  he 
had  found  we  were  balked  again.  To  get  into  Switzerland 
would  be  next  to  impossible,  and  a  good  train  would  be  coming 
through  soon  bound  north  for  Cologne ;  we  would  take  that 
and  go  across  Holland,  to  England,  and  there  meet  Julia.  This 

i  Maid  and  valet. 


THE  FINAL  YEARS  507 

sounded  wise.  I  sat  on  a  valise  and  waited.  George  wandered 
about,  and  to  his  surprise  found  two  of  our  lost  trunks  piled 
high  in  the  station  with  others.  The  train  did  come  through 
about  noon,  and  George  of  course  got  first-class  seats  for  us 
with  his  usual  quick  cleverness. 

In  the  train,  in  one  compartment,  was  a  typical  English 
man  who  had  just  come  from  a  fishing  trip  somewhere  in  the 
wilds,  for  he  had  heard  no  war  rumours  and  was  much  more 
keen  over  his  fishing  tackle  than  war. 

The  trip  to  Cologne  was  uneventful:  we  reached  there 
about  six.  Here  indeed  one  realized  there  must  be  trouble  of 
some  kind.  The  place  was  crowded  in  every  direction,  private 
motors  were  being  seized  and  lined  up  in  the  Cathedral  Square 
for  government  use,  regardless  of  ownership.  In  the  high  tower 
of  the  Cathedral  were  cannon  already.  Indeed,  this  looked  like 
real  trouble.  We  got  supper  in  the  hotel  and  inquired  as  to 
trains.  One  was  scheduled  for  nine  o'clock  to  the  Hook.  We 
decided  that  would  be  best,  for  this  was  the  last  day  that  trains 
would  be  free  for  passengers  at  all  —  the  troops  would  require 
all  after  that.  However,  we  had  no  trunks  to  check,  as  the  two 
George  found  had  already  been  side-tracked,  but  this  seemed 
almost  a  relief ! 

We  asked  why  the  crowd  outside  seemed  especially  excited, 
and  heard  that  Russian  spies  were  about,  that  a  man  dressed  as 
a  woman  had  just  been  shot  nearby. 

So  it  had  begun. 

In  the  hotel  were  groups  of  people  having  tea.  Officers 
smartly  dressed  in  their  gay  uniforms  would  soon  be  in  the  field, 
and  nothing  would  be  gay  there  —  far  from  it.  We  went  to 
the  station,  and  indeed  it  was  in  confusion.  Crowds  and  crowds 
of  people  packed  on  the  platforms,  largely  made  up  of  relatives 
of  these  poor  young  men  off  to  the  unknown.  I  recall  a  young 
woman,  seemingly  a  widow,  pacing  the  platform  holding  the 


508  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

arm  of  a  young  man  whom  I  supposed  her  son.  I  have  bften 
wondered  if  he  ever  came  back  to  her. 

Officials  were  evidently  all  gone  to  join  the  troops.  One 
could  get  little  satisfaction  and  nothing  definite.  We  and  a 
small  crowd  of  Britishers,  all  anxious  to  get  home  and  more  so 
to  leave  Germany,  were  waiting  for  that  promised  train  to  the 
Hook.  But  train  after  train  came  in  and  out  of  the  station  all 
loaded  with  soldiers,  cheering,  cheering,  and  the  silent  crowd 
would  only  then  cheer,  too.  A  train  did  come  in  empty  at  about 
10,  and  we  all  clambered  in  and  felt  relieved  to  be  moving  once 
more  nearer  England  and  Julia. 

This  was  the  thirtieth  of  July,  and  I  could  not  in  any  way 
wire  Julia,  as  no  telegrams  were  permitted,  even  if  this  was  her 
birthday.  At  a  time  like  this  when  every  one  is  excited  and 
fearful,  it  is  a  relief  to  talk  to  one's  neighbour,  in  the  train  or 
wherever  one  may  be,  and  in  the  same  compartment  was  a  little 
old  German  and  his  wife.  They  had  been  to  Switzerland  for  a 
holiday.  There  they  had  got  a  telegram  that  their  two  sons 
were  called  to  arms,  and  they  had  already  left  home  before  they 

could  get  back  to  see  them.  This  couple  got  off  at , 

and  no  sooner  were  they  out  of  sight  than  we  saw  soldiers  run 
through  the  station,  a  pistol  shot,  —  another  "  spy  "  gone.  This 
was  indeed  gruesome,  and  we  were  all  glad  that  the  train  pulled 
out  of  the  station  quickly.  We  were  not  detained  and  on  we 
went.  Bridges  were  all  carefully  guarded  and  all  stations. 

Indeed,  war  had  begun. 

At  about  11  we  reached  Cleves  and  were  told  the  rails 
stopped  there,  that  we  must  pass  the  night  at  Cleves  and  take  a 
trolley  to  the  border  in  the  morning.  It  was  a  mystery  to  me 
how,  in  so  short  a  time,  rails  had  been  ripped  up,  trolleys  sub 
stituted,  and  new  arrangements  organized.  No  town  in  sight, 
a  few  wagons,  lots  of  men  standing  about.  The  travellers  all 
took  various  traps  and  disappeared.  George  and  I  seemed  the 


Mis-ma]  THE  FINAL  YEARS  509 

last.  He  had  told  a  taxi  to  return  for  us  after  taking  the  first 
load,  as  he  wished  to  go  to  the  hotel  out  of  town.  I  was  sitting 
on  a  bag,  pretty  weary  after  our  two  days'  travel  and  a  good 
deal  of  excitement,  and  anxious  to  hear  from  and  see  Julia.  I 
whistled  (our  family  notes)  for  George,  who  had  wandered  off. 
I  think  this  must  have  aroused  suspicion,  for  an  officer  seemed 
to  spring  from  the  earth.  He  asked  us  to  get  into  the  taxi, 
which  had  just  returned,  servants  and  bags.  He  got  on  the 
box  and  we  drove  into  the  town  and  to  the  Police  Station ! 

We  were  conducted  across  a  courtyard  to  a  small  room, 
and  requested,  in  a  very  peremptory  manner,  to  open  all  our 
bags.  Nothing  was  found  to  excite  them  until  George's  pouch 
came  to  light,  and  that,  they  felt  sure,  must  be  full  of  informa 
tion.  George  had  kept  some  of  his  cards  of  visitors  during  our 
stop  in  Berlin,  and  when  the  officer  came  across  von  Jagow's 
card  it  acted  like  a  talisman.  Our  bags  were  closed.  We  were 
put  in  the  cab  and  sent  on  to  the  hotel,  situated  out  of  town, 
on  the  hill,  the  officer  saluting  most  politely. 

How  glad  I  was  to  fall  into  bed.  Clank,  clank  —  an  offi 
cer's  step  along  our  passage !  A  knock  at  the  door !  My  heart 
stood  still — what  now?  Marie  had  left  all  our  keys  and  the 
officer  himself  had  brought  them  to  us  out  of  town.  This  was 
an  unspeakable  relief.  My  nerves  were  soon  at  rest. 

The  hotel  was  really  situated  in  a  lovely  place  on  the  side 
of  the  hill,  and  must  have  been  a  charming  resort  and  Kurhaus. 
In  the  morning  we  had  breakfast  on  the  big  piazza  early,  and 
then  drove  to  the  town  to  take  a  tram  which  was  the  only 
means  then  of  crossing  the  border  and  getting  into  Holland. 
The  car  was  supposed  to  start  at  8,  but  we  never  got  off  until 
much  later.  The  officer  who  had  examined  our  bags  the  night 
before  came  to  see  us  off  and  evidently  believed  that  George 
had  known  H.E.  von  Jagow  in  Rome  while  U.  S.  Ambassador, 
and  that  there  was  no  deception. 


510  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

A  funny  crowd  was  packed  into  that  little  electric  car  — 
mostly  English  and  Americans.  We  learned  from  some  what  a 
difficult  time  they  had  had  getting  accommodations  at  Cleves 
for  the  night.  Many  slept  out  of  doors,  some  in  cars,  so  it  was 
due  to  George's  intelligence  in  going  out  of  town  that  we  had 
nice  quarters  and  quiet.  The  car  stopped  at  a  small  village  on 
the  German  border,  about  two  hours  from  Cleves,  and  we  were 
all  told  to  get  out  and  the  women  requested  to  go  into  a  house 
and  be  searched.  I  took  Marie  with  me  and  they  seemed  to 
think  I  might  be  a  man  in  disguise!  Letters  and  lunch  boxes 
were  taken  from  people,  but  nothing  was  taken  from  us,  and 
across  the  border  we  walked,  by  a  double  line  of  soldiers  with 
guns,  into  Holland.  I  never  thought  I  could  be  so  glad  at  keav- 
ing  Germany  behind  me. 

Mrs.  Meyer's  narrative  goes  on  to  tell  of  meetings 
with  American  and  other  friends  in  England  and  Scot 
land,  where  Mr.  Meyer  carried  out  the  plan  formed 
in  America  to  join  a  shooting  party  of  his  friend  Mr. 
Clarence  H.  Mackay's  near  Aberdeen,  and  of  the  com 
fortable  sailing  of  the  three  thwarted  travellers,  after 
the  rush  of  returning  Americans  had  spent  itself,  on 
the  Mauretania  from  Liverpool  at  the  beginning  of 
September. 

Among  the  earliest  letters  written  by  Meyer  on  his 
return  was  one  of  September  11  to  the  Hon.  William 
J.  Bryan,  then  Secretary  of  State.  "  I  have  just  re 
turned  from  Europe,"  it  said,  "  and  I  believe  that  at 
the  psychological  moment  the  President  and  you  will 
have  to  play  a  most  important  part  in  the  bringing 
about  of  peace  among  the  warring  nations.  I  found 
that  in  England  and  France  men  irrespective  of  party 


GEORGE   V.   L.   MEYER,   WITH   HIS   SON  AND   GRANDSON   OF   THE 
SAME  NAME 


THE  FINAL  YEARS  511 

were  working  together  to  better  conditions;  therefore 
I  am  taking  the  liberty  of  assuring  you,  if  at  any  time 
I  can  be  of  any  service,  on  account  of  my  acquaintance 
abroad  with  the  leading  ministers  and  ambassadors  in 
Europe,  and  England,  combined  with  experience  that 
I  had  in  persuading  the  Tsar  to  agree  to  appoint 
plenipotentiaries  with  full  power  to  meet  Japanese 
plenipotentiaries,  that  you  will  feel  at  liberty  to  com 
mand  me."  This  letter,  which  went  on  to  enumerate 
some  of  Meyer's  personal  relationships  in  Europe,  re 
ceived  a  courteous  acknowledgment. 

About  a  month  later,  in  a  letter  of  October  15  to 
Mr.  Erving  Winslow  of  Boston  he  wrote:  "  I  sympa-^ 
thize  with  Belgium  and  France,  but  cannot  be  blind  to 
the  misrule  of  Russia  in  the  past,  and  her  methods  of 
government.    I  do  not  believe  that  Russian  militarism 
and  Russianized  German  provinces  would  be  a  stepV 
forward  if  the  outcome  of  the  present  war  depends  on 
Russian  victories.    I  also  believe  in  the  attitude  of  our 
President  regarding  strict  neutrality  of  this  country." 

In  this  final  sentiment  it  will  be  remembered  that 
in  October  of  1914  Meyer  and  Roosevelt  were  at  one. 
This  is  by  no  means  to  say  that  even  at  that  time 
Meyer  was  in  general  sympathy  with  the  administra 
tion.  His  attitude,  on  the  contrary,  was  hostile  to  it, 
and  became  more  and  more  that  of  a  vigorous  critic 
of  its  policies.  Especially  in  the  matter  of  "  pre 
paredness,"  he  felt  that  the  Government  was  seriously 
at  fault,  and  employed  every  means  at  his  command 
to  inform  and  stimulate  the  public  in  the  direction  of 
a  greatly  enlarged  programme  of  national  defense. 


512  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Naturally  the  Navy  was  the  chief  object  of  his  con 
cern.  He  was  entirely  out  of  sympathy  with  his  suc 
cessor's  conduct  of  the  Department,  and,  with  all  the 
sincerity  and  conviction  of  a  strong  believer  in  the 
policies  to  which  he  had  devoted  four  years  of  hard 
work,  combated  the  new  policies  from  which  he  was 
firmly  persuaded  that  a  general  deterioration  of  the 
service  would  result.  Unsparing  as  he  was  in  his 
criticisms  of  the  existing  naval  administration,  espe 
cially  for  its  reversals  of  the  emphasis  he  had  placed 
upon  the  more  strictly  military  aspects  of  the  Navy, 
and  for  its  sacrifice  of  the  benefits  he  had  foreseen 
from  the  firmer  establishment  of  his  system  of  naval 
aids,  he  did  not  fail  to  point  out  the  shortcomings  of 
Congress,  for  many  years  past,  in  making  adequate 
provisions  for  the  naval  forces. 

His  appeals  to  the  public  took  a  variety  of  forms. 
He  responded  to  many  requests  for  addresses  to  public 
gatherings.  He  contributed  articles  to  such  periodicals 
as  the  Yale  Review,  Harper's  Weekly,  the  North 
American  Review,  and  the  Metropolitan  Magazine. 
He  reached  the  newspaper  reading  public  through  the 
Chicago  Tribune,  the  New  York  Times,  and  other 
journals.  He  identified  himself  with  organizations 
promoting  the  objects  he  had  at  heart  —  the  National 
Security  League,  the  American  Defense  Society,  the 
National  Allied  Relief  Committee,  the  Navy  League, 
and  the  like.  The  needs  and  responsibilities  of  the 
Navy  afforded  the  field  in  which  his  special  knowledge 
and  strongest  interest  could  be  brought  into  most  ef 
fective  play.  Thus  in  the  agitation  for  universal  mili- 


ms-1918}  THE  FINAL  YEARS  513 

tary  training,  it  fell  to  him  to  plead  the  necessity  of 
preparing  young  men  for  the  Navy  as  well  as  for  the 
Army.  "  Hacking  away  over  preparedness  in  the 
Navy,"  was  his  own  description,  in  a  letter,  of  the 
course  to  which  he  was  committed  before  the  end  of 
1915.  In  another  letter  of  the  same  time  he  defined 
the  two  chief  points  on  which  he  was  trying  to  educate 
the  public  as  "  military  organization  in  the  administra 
tion  at  Washington,  which  means  a  General  Staff  and 
a  National  Council  of  Defense,  and  a  sufficiently  edu 
cated  personnel,  both  active  and  reserve,  for,  as  you 
say,  ships  without  men  are  of  no  use."  To  these  and 
nearly  related  matters  he  was  steadily  and  system 
atically  devoting  his  energies. 

All  these  activities,  begun  early  in  the  war  and  con 
tinued  to  the  end  of  his  life  under  the  altered  condi 
tions  that  arose  when  the  United  States  joined  in  the 
conflict  with  Germany,  represented  an  interest  in  na 
tional  affairs  closely  akin  to  that  of  Theodore  Roose 
velt.  Meyer's  affection  and  admiration  for  this  friend 
of  many  years  was  one  of  the  constant  elements  in  his 
life.  It  was  entirely  natural,  therefore,  that  when  the 
time  came,  in  1916,  to  nominate  a  Republican  candi 
date  to  contest  the  reelection  of  President  Wilson, 
Meyer  believed  that  Roosevelt  most  clearly  embodied 
the  sentiment  with  which  the  President  might  be  suc 
cessfully  opposed,  and  that  to  Roosevelt  the  direction 
of  national  policies  could  be  most  advantageously  en 
trusted.  This  belief,  with  its  roots  in  personal,  po 
litical,  and  patriotic  considerations,  was  not  of  sudden 
growth.  Even  before  the  war  began.  Meyer  had 


514  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

written  to  Roosevelt,  in  June  of  1914,  expressing  the 
hope  that  he  would  be  "  in  the  pink  of  condition  for 
the  great  contest  which  will  come  off  two  years  hence 
against  the  Democratic  administration,"  and  declaring: 
"  If  the  presidential  elections  were  to  come  off  next 
autumn  and  there  were  to  be  presidential  primaries 
throughout  the  country,  I  am  sure  you  would  get  both 
the  Republican  and  Progressive  nominations."  In  the 
spring  of  1916,  when  some  of  Roosevelt's  more  impul 
sive  friends  in  Massachusetts,  were  bent  on  sending 
a  delegation  to  the  Chicago  Convention,  pledged  to 
the  nomination  of  their  candidate,  Meyer  strongly 
favoured  an  unpledged  delegation,  believing  that,  after 
the  failure  of  the  Convention  to  choose  any  single 
"  favourite  son  "  out  of  all  the  minor  political  groups, 
there  would  be  a  general  demand  for  Roosevelt  as 
the  leader  who  might  bring  the  party  back  into  power. 
Meanwhile  there  was  much  uncertainty  about  the 
willingness  of  Mr.  Justice  Hughes  to  heed  the  desires 
of  the  more  "  regular  "  Republican  politicians,  quit  the 
Supreme  bench,  and  become  a  candidate.  The  whole 
situation  was  delicate  in  the  extreme,  and  Meyer  fully 
realized  how  difficult  it  would  be  to  persuade  a  Na 
tional  Republican  Convention  that  the  Progressive 
candidate  of  1912  could  with  any  propriety  whatever 
become  the  Republican  candidate  of  1916.  Neverthe 
less  he  was  one  of  a  voluntary  group  of  Roosevelt's 
supporters  who  came  together  about  three  weeks  be 
fore  the  Convention  and  decided  to  make  an  appeal 
to  the  country  on  the  ground  of  offering  a  candidate 
who  should  represent  qualities  and  policies  squarely 


ms-mai  THE  FINAL  YEARS  515 

antipodal  to  those  of  President  Wilson.  Should  the 
plans  of  the  Republican  leaders  go  awry  through  a 
iinal  refusal  by  Mr.  Justice  Hughes  to  accept  the 
nomination,  these  supporters  of  Roosevelt  believed  that 
many  would  flock  to  their  side  and  insist  on  the  selec 
tion  of  their  candidate. 

The  leadership  in  this  movement  was  offered  to 
Meyer,  and  accepted.  In  the  short  period  before  the 
Convention  he  was  the  prime  mover  in  the  organiza- 
zation  of  Roosevelt  Republican  Clubs  throughout  the 
country.  He  conducted  a  brilliant  but  fore-doomed 
fight,  carried  to  Chicago  itself,  where  he  established 
convention  Headquarters.  The  fight  failed,  if  for  no 
other  reason,  because  Mr.  Justice  Hughes  finally  broke 
his  silence  on  the  subject  of  his  possible  nomination 
by  deciding  to  run  for  the  presidency,  and  thus 
enabled  the  "  regulars  "  to  carry  out  their  programme. 
A  colleague  of  Meyer's  in  the  endeavour  to  secure  the 
nomination  of  Roosevelt  has  ascribed  the  ensuing 
"  disaster  to  the  party  "  mainly  to  the  fact  that  "  the 
country  at  large  could  see  but  slight  difference  between 
the  views  of  Mr.  Wilson  and  Mr.  Hughes,  and,  that 
being  so,  preferred  not  to  *  swap  horses.' '  Another 
fellow-worker  in  this  enterprise  has  expressed  the 
opinion  that  "  the  only  cause  for  the  failure  to 
nominate  the  Colonel  was  that  the  Meyer  plan  was  a 
hundred  days  too  late  in  getting  into  the  field";  and 
has  said  of  Meyer's  own  part  in  the  undertaking  that, 
"  like  all  of  his  efforts  in  life,  it  was  clean  and  above 
board,  and  when  it  was  done  he  could  look  every  man 
straight  in  the  eye." 


516  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

Meyer  showed  himself  no  less  devoted  a  Republican 
in  the  campaign  of  1916  than  in  that  of  1912.  He 
provided  Mr.  Hughes  with  campaign  material  to  be 
used  in  the  interest  of  the  Navy,  rendered  valuable 
service  in  the  collection  of  campaign  funds,  and  exerted 
all  his  influence  for  the  restoration  of  his  party  to 
power.  The  result  of  the  election  in  November  was 
a  bitter  disappointment  to  him.  In  a  letter  to  Mrs. 
Meyer,  written  on  November  11  from  New  York,  he 
expressed  his  true  feelings:  "  It  has  been  a  most  disap 
pointing  and  trying  election  —  disappointment  in  the 
people  and  discouragement  for  the  Navy  during  the 
next  four  years.  It  was  bad  enough  to  see  all  my 
work  undone,  but  it  is  terrible  to  think  what  might  be 
accomplished  with  the  vast  appropriations,  and  actually 
what  will  not  be  done.  I  am  tired  of  answering  peo 
ple's  questions  of  'how  did  it  happen?' 

For  most  Americans  with  minds  and  hearts  these 
were  indeed  days  of  perplexity  and  travail  of  spirit. 
The  final  decision  of  the  country  to  enter  the  war  came 
like  a  fresh  wind  that  blew  away  many  clouds  of  doubt, 
and  gave  to  persons  of  all  varieties  of  political  con 
victions  a  clear  vision  of  a  united  purpose.  To  those, 
like  Meyer,  who  had  rendered  genuine  service  to  the 
cause  of  preparedness  came  a  reassuring  sense  of  hav 
ing  accomplished  something,  though  less  than  they  de 
sired,  towards  fitting  the  country  for  the  physical  part 
of  the  struggle.  There  were  many  works  of  foresight 
and  mercy  to  be  done,  and  it  is  good  to  record  of 
George  Meyer  that,  besides  entering  heartily  into  such 
immediate  matters  as  the  projects  for  ampler  food 


LAST   PHOTOGRAPH   OF^MR.   MEYER,  WITH  HIS  bOX   AT   HAMIL 

TON,  NOVEMBER,    1817.        FROM  A  SNAPSHOT 

BY     MRS.     MEYER 


1913-1918]  THE  FmAL  YEARS  517 

production  in  Essex  County  and  the  forwarding  of 
local  Red  Cross  enterprises,  he  made  his  last  appear 
ance  in  public  early  in  February  of  1918,  slightly  more 
than  a  month  before  his  death,  as  a  speaker  at  a  mass 
meeting  on  behalf  of  Italian  war  relief  at  the  Tremont 
Theatre  in  Boston.  By  this  time  his  personal  interest 
in  the  conduct  of  the  war  was  keenly  sharpened  by  the 
fact  that  his  son,  having  entered  the  Army  through  the 
Harvard  Regiment  and  Plattsburg,  was  serving  his 
country  as  a  Captain  of  Infantry  and  aide  to  General 
Leonard  Wood,  that  one  son-in-law  was  in  the  active 
service  of  the  Navy,  and  another  in  the  Diplomatic 
Corps  of  the  Italian  Government.  Thus  for  those 
nearest  to  him,  and  consequently  for  himself,  the  war 
was  anything  but  an  abstract  or  remote  affair. 

Meyer's  domestic  life  during  these  final  years  was 
singularly  happy.  To  his  great  satisfaction,  he  could 
pass  more  of  his  time  at  Hamilton  than  in  any  of  his 
periods  of  office-holding.  In  April  of  1913,  his  daugh 
ter  Alice  was  married  in  Washington  to  Lieutenant 
(now  Commander)  C.  P.  R.  Rodgers,  of  the  Navy. 
Before  the  end  of  this  year  the  marriage  of  his  son, 
and  namesake,  with  Miss  Frances  Saltonstall,  took 
place.  In  the  winter  there  were  holidays  at  Aiken,  in 
the  summer  on  the  Restigouches  where  the  salmon- 
fishing  delighted  and  refreshed  him  as  in  earlier  years. 
Near  the  end  of  1916  he  began  the  formidable  under 
taking,  mentioned  near  the  beginning  of  this  book,  of 
moving  his  house  at  Hamilton  from  its  original  road 
side  position  to  a  commanding  site  on  a  nearby  hill, 
establishing  himself  and  Mrs.  Meyer  meanwhile  in  a 


518  GEORGE  VON  L.  MEYER 

smaller  house  in  the  neighbourhood  in  order  to  follow 
the  work,  which  greatly  interested  him.  This  was  ac 
complished  in  August  of  1917,  and  on  October  1  his 
daughter  Julia  was  married,  at  the  transplanted 
mansion-house,  to  Signor  Giuseppe  Brambilla. 

Those  who  saw  him  at  this  time,  gay,  apparently 
well,  interested  in  everything,  bent  on  giving  pleasure 
to  his  family  and  friends,  could  hardly  have  realized 
that  in  the  previous  winter  he  had  undergone  what  was 
called  a  "  slight  operation  "  but  was  in  reality  the  occa 
sion  of  a  grave  illness.  From  time  to  time  in  the 
course  of  the  preceding  narrative  it  has  been  seen  that 
physical  ailments  had  called  for  "  cures "  and  vaca 
tions.  These  effects  of  a  Russian  diet  for  two  years 
and  the  strain  of  intense  activities  for  many  more 
would  doubtless  have  made  themselves  more  frequently 
felt  but  for  Meyer's  constant  practice  of  physical 
exercise.  By  its  means  he  kept  himself  in  a  state  of 
bodily  "  fitness  "  which  made  any  semblance  of  disease 
quite  foreign  to  him.  While  Secretary  of  the  Navy 
he  had  continued  to  go  about  his  work  through  an 
attack  of  "  walking  typhoid."  So  now,  through  the 
last  year  of  his  life,  he  hid  the  suffering  of  a  fatal 
illness  from  all  but  the  most  penetrating  eyes,  enjoy 
ing  and  causing  others  to  enjoy  whatever  pleasures 
were  to  be  had  —  until  for  a  few  last  weeks  the  hand 
of  pain  closed  his  door  to  the  outer  world.  The  ideal 
of  the  sportsman  —  to  "  do  your  job  "  and  "  take  your 
punishment "  without  flinching  or  complaint  —  is  after 
all  an  ideal  to  which  true  men  and  women  must  always 
turn  with  admiration  and  respect.  It  was  in  this  spirit 
that  Mever  faced  and  met  his  end.  He  died  March  9, 


THE  FINAL  YEARS  519 

1918,  at  his  home  in  Boston,  54  Beacon  Street,  of 
tumour  of  the  liver.  He  had  not  quite  attained  the 
age  of  sixty.  "  In  a  comparatively  few  years,"  a 
friend  well  said  of  him,  "  he  lived  a  long  life." 

Many  other  friends  said  many  other  things  in  ap 
preciation  and  praise.  Out  of  all  these  expressions  it 
is  enough  at  this  point  to  take  but  one  —  the  word 
that  came  immediately  to  Mrs.  Meyer  from  Theodore 
Roosevelt :  — 

There  is  nothing  I  can  say  that  will  in  any  way  lighten 
your  grief ;  and  that  I  dearly  loved  George  you  already  know. 
Yet  I  cannot  forbear  writing  you  a  word  of  deep  sympathy. 
You  have  been  a  staunch  friend;  your  sorrow  would  be  our 
sorrow  in  any  event ;  and  in  this  event  we  mourn  George  as  we 
would  mourn  very,  very  few  outside  our  own  family.  He  was 
as  loyal  and  devoted  a  friend  as  ever  lived;  he  possessed  that 
fine  courage  and  fearless  uprightness  of  character  which  mark 
only  the  few  among  all  whom  we  meet  on  our  way  through 
life;  and  he  was  a  singularly  useful  public  servant.  I  prized 
his  friendship  greatly ;  I  felt  honoured  by  my  association  with 
him  in  public  work. 

It  is  idle  to  try  to  comfort  you;  and  yet,  my  dear  Mrs. 
Meyer,  as  we  of  our  generation  draw  near  the  inevitable,  it 
is  a  fine  thing  to  meet  it  with  the  gallant  heroism  your  husband 
showed ;  and  you  yourself  have  "  warmed  both  hands  at  the  fire 
of  life  " ;  much,  very  much,  has  been  yours. 

"  As  loyal  and  devoted  a  friend  as  ever  lived  " — 
"  a  singularly  useful  public  servant."  The  record  of 
George  Meyer's  life  and  work  cannot  be  brought  to  a 
more  fitting  conclusion  than  with  these  words  from 
one  who  knew  whereof  he  spoke. 


INDEX 


The  black  letter  initial  M  stands  throughout  for  the  subject  of  the  work. 
Because  of  the  length  of  the  index,  some  other  abbreviations,  easily  under 
stood,  have  been  used. 


A.  D.  Club,  6. 

Abbott,  Lyman,  392,  405. 

Abruzzi,  Duke  of  the,  entertained 
by  M.  in  U.  S.,  358  f .;  at  James 
town  Exposition,  361;  50  and  n., 
55,  68,  69. 

Adami,  Mr.,  305,  306. 

Adami,  Mme.,  306. 

Adams,  Charles  Francis,  44. 

Adams,  John  Quincy,  242,  243. 

Adalbert,  Prince,  214,  218,  337. 

Adee,  Alvey  A.,  145,  204,  219. 

Aehrenthal,  Baron  d',  on  the  pros 
pects  of  the  Algeciras  Confer 
ence,  262;  on  Russian  situation, 
298;  146,  184,  208,  261,  278,  299- 

Aguera,  252. 

Aguinaldo,  Emilio,  43. 

Alaska,  131. 

Albert,  Prince,  of  Schleswig-HcI- 
stein,  98. 

Alcibiades,  as  a  model  for  diplo 
mats,  323. 

Aldrich,~Velson  W.,  418,  443. 

Alexander  III,  Tsar,   206. 

Alexander,  King  of  Servia,  murder 
of,  73,  410. 

Alexander  Palace,  at  Tsarskoe  Sel6, 
141  f. 

Alexandra,  Queen  of  Edward  VII, 
135,  142,  339,  484. 

Alexandra  Feodorovna,  Tsarina, 
gives  birth  to  an  heir,  100;  M., 
received  by,  142;  first  impression 
of,  142;  her  alleged  influence  over 
the  Tsar,  145,  146,  226,  333,  349; 
M.'s  farewell  audience  with,  331, 
332;  fails  to  understand  condi 
tions,  333;  140,  143,  157,  195,  260, 
261,  280,  329. 


Alexandria  Victoria,  Prindess,  of 
Holstein,  337. 

Alexis,  Grand  Duke,   151,  152,  252. 

Alexis,  Tsarevitch,  142,  245. 

Alfonso  XIII  of  Spain,  217,  484. 

Algeciras  Conference  over  Moroc 
can  situation,  138;  preliminaries 
of,  243;  attitude  of  France  and 
Great  Britain  toward,  243,  246; 
feeling  in  Russia  concerning,  255; 
Lodge's  speech  on,  256;  d' Aehren 
thal  on  prospects  of,  262;  France 
and  Germany  at,  263;  Roosevelt 
looked  to  as  mediator  in  case  of 
deadlock,  264;  Russia  how  con 
cerned  in  outcome  of,  264,  265; 
prospects  of  satisfactory  conclu 
sion  of,  265,  266;  Lamsdorff's  in 
structions  to  Cassini,  269;  close 
of,  269;  Kaiser  on  Italy  and  Aus 
tria  at,  272;  U.  S.  dossier  con 
cerning,  284. 

Alvensleben,  Graf  von,  147,  163, 
164,  165,  173,  185. 

Alverstone,  Lord,  44. 

Amadeo,  Duke  of  Savoy,  unveiling 
of  statue  of,  53,  54. 

American  Academy  at  Rome,  open 
ing  of  exhibition  of,  82,  83;  pur 
chase  of  Villa  Mirafiori  for,  91; 
45,  105. 

American  Architects,  Society  of, 
109. 

American  Defense  Society,  512. 

American  Historical  Review  on  con 
ference  of  Tsar  and  Kaiser  at 
Bjorke,  185  n. 

Amerika,  Hamburg-American  liner, 
228. 

Ames,  Adelbert  S.,  388. 


521 


522 


INDEX 


Ames  Plow  Co.,  12. 
Amnesty  for  political  prisoners,  in 
the   Duma,    283,   284;    Goremykin 
announces  denial  of,  288,  289. 
Amoskeag  Mfg.  Co.,  12. 
Ananias  Club,  414. 
Andr£,  Grand  Duke,  207,  311. 

Andreiva,  Gorky's  pseudo-wife,  272. 
Annenkoff,  M.  and  V.,  335  n. 

Andrews,  Philip,  U.  S.  N.,  471 
and  n. 

Antoniny,  hunting  at,  313,  314,  316; 
description  of,  314;  conditions  of 
peasants  at,  314,  315. 

Aosta,  Duchess  of,  quoted  on  Rus 
sians  and  Grand  Dukes,  135,  136; 
50  and  n.,  51,  53,  54,  73,  83,  101, 
102,  103,  104,  107,  466,  504. 

Aosta,  Duke  of,  ceases  to  be  heir 
presumptive  to  Italian  throne, 
100,  103;  50  and  n.,  53,  54,  55, 
58,  63,  68,  69,  70,  73,  100,  101, 
104,  107,  504. 

Appleton,  Charles  H.,  13,  19. 

Appleton,  Frank  R.,  207. 

Appleton,  Isabella  (Mason),  13. 

Appleton,  Marian  Alice,  M7s  wife. 
See  Meyer,  Marian  A.  (Apple- 
ton). 

Arcos,  Duke  and  Duchess  d',  196. 

Ardea  (Italy):  duck-shooting  and 
hunting  at,  64. 

Argentina,  a  possible  Italian  repub 
lic,  64. 

Armistice,  proposed  in  Russo- 
Japanese  War,  175,  176. 

Armour,  J.  Ogden,  59,  61,  74. 

Ascoli,  Duchess  of,  81,  82. 

Ascoli,  Duke  of,  82. 

Astor,    Nancy    (Langhorne),   485. 

Astor,  Waldorf,  485. 

Atlantic  Monthly,  258  and  n.,  270 
and  n. 

Atlantic  Ocean  Trust,  62. 

August  William,  Prince,  337. 

Augusta  Victoria,  German  Empress, 
74,  85,  214,  215,  218,  228,  230, 
336,  337. 

Austria  and  the  Kaiser,  272. 

Automobiles:  M.'s  prophecy  con- 
corning,  in  1897;  and  Victor  Em 
manuel  III,  38,  39. 

Aviation:  beginnings  of,  440  and  n. 


Bacon,  Elliot,  484. 

Bacon,  Martha,  388. 

Bacon,  Robert,  62,  91,  93,  96,  207, 
210,  219,  222,  373,  374,  376,  381, 
388,  389,  420,  479. 

Bacon,  Mrs.  Robert,  388,  420,  426. 

Bagno,  Marchioness  of,  68. 

Bagot,  46. 

Baku,  trouble  in,  210. 

Balacheff,  A.,  336  n. 

Balaclava,   battlefield    of,   320. 

Balkan  War:  German  ammunition 
in,  501;  Kaiser's  maps  of,  502. 

Ballinger,  Richard:  controversy  with 
Pinchot  over  conservation,  etc., 
445;  442. 

Bankers'  dinner:  M.'s  address  at, 
416. 

Barber,  Colonel,  U.  S.  A.,  479. 

Baring,  Maurice,  on  affairs  in  Mos 
cow,  266,  267;  186. 

Barney,  Mr.,  Pres.  of  Knicker 
bocker  Trust  Co.,  commits  suicide, 
375. 

Barrere,  Camille,  criticizes  Russian 
government,  117,  118;  51,  56,  69, 
70,  71,  81,  113,  114,  1,21,  128,  131, 
146,  155. 

Barrett,  John,  91. 

Barry,  T.  H.,  U.  S.  A.,  189  and  n. 

Bates,  John  L.,  96. 

Bear-hunting  in  Russia,  248-251. 

Beeckman,  L.,  91. 

Beehler,  W.  H.,  U.  S.  N,.  58,  478. 

Belloy,  Marquise  de,  303,  324. 

Belosselsky,  Prince,  ]97,  207,  236, 
252,  261,  271,  274,  295,  336  n. 

Belosselsky,  Princess,  147,  207,  236, 
271,  274,  295,  302,  335  n. 

Benckendorff,  Count  von,  on  Alge- 
ciras  Conference,  264;  244,  246, 
271,  331,  333,  335  n.,  484. 

Benckendorff,  Countess  von,  246, 
254. 

Bennett,  James  Gordon,  479. 

Beresford,  Lord  Charles,  50. 

Berlin:  court  life  at,  84-86;  royal 
palace  at,  84,  85;  M.'s  visit  to  in 
February,  1905,  125  f.,  and  De 
cember,  1905,  225-230. 

Bernoff,  M.,  on  disturbances  in 
Russia,  119,  120,  123. 

Bernstorff,      Count,      addition      to 


INDEX 


523 


Diplomatic  Corps,_415;   and  Jus- 
serand,  rivalry  between,  441. 

Bernstorff,  Countess,  415. 

Bersaglieri,  the,  55. 

Bernstein,     Herman,     The      Willy- 
Nicky   Correspondence.  185  n. 

Bertie,  Lady  Feodora,  90. 

Bertie,  Sir  Francis,  90. 

"Bey."      See    Meyer,    George    von 
L.,  Jr. 

Bianchini,  Signor,  54. 

Bigelow,  William  S.,  463. 

Birigham,  Henry  H.,  27. 

Birileff,  Admiral,  180,  204,  205. 

Birrell,  Augustine,  486. 

Bismarck,    Prince    Otto    von,    109, 
226. 

Bjorke,    conference    of    Tsar    and 
Kaiser  at,  185  and  ».,  188,  191. 

"Black  Hundred"    (Russia),  reviv 
ing  influence  of,  309. 

Black  Sea  fleet.    See  Odessa. 

"Blacks":  gathering  of,  at  farewell 
dinner  to  M.  in  Rome,  132. 

Blair,  Woodbury,  443. 

Blair,  Mrs.  Woodbury,  443. 

Blight,  Miss,  68. 

Bliss,  Cornelius  N.,  92,  P3,  105. 

Bliss,  Robert  W.,  139,  153,  209,  261, 
266. 

Bliicher,  Gebhard  L.  von,  4. 

Boardman,  Mabel  T.,  426. 

Bobrinskoy,  Count,  271,  335  n. 

Bobrinskoy,     Countess,     271,     330, 
335  n, 

Bodrero,  Captain,  80. 

Bonaparte,    Charles     J.,    322,    323, 
385,  386,  397. 

Bompard,    M.,    146,    165,    166,    204, 

261,  263,  267,  270,  278,  294,  298. 
Boris,  Grand  Duke,  196,  302. 
Boston,  in   1879,   10,  11;   Mugwump 
sentiment  in,  19;  Ninth  ward  of, 
19;   City  Council   of,   M.'s   service 
in,  17,  20. 

Boston    Harbour,    35-foot    channel 
in,  25. 

Boston  Herald,  interview  with  M.  in, 

18. 

Boston  Journal,  488. 
Boston  Navy  Yard,  455. 
Boston  Transcript,  491. 
Bourgeois,  Leon,  216,  268. 


Bowen,  Herbert  W.,  66  *md  n.,  89. 

Bradley,  backer  of  Dr.  Cook,  465. 

Brambilla,  Giuseppe,  marries  Julia 
Meyer,  5,  8,  13,  76,  78. 

Brambilla,  Mme.  Julia  (Meyer), 
504,  505,  506,  508. 

Brancaccio,  Palazzo,  Rome,  M.'s  am 
bassadorial  residence,  34,  35,  36. 

Bremerton  Navy  Yard,  471,  472, 
473,  476. 

Brent,  Bishop  Charles  H.,  57. 

Bresci,  assassin  of  King  Humbert, 

Brigham,  Nathaniel  M.,  96. 

Bristol,  Lord,  485. 

British-Japanese  treaty,  Kaiser  on, 
499. 

Bronson,  Admiral,  219," 

Brown,  William  C.,  482. 

Brusati,  General,  78,  81,  82,  100. 

Bruschi,  Count,  48. 

Bruschi,  Countess,  68. 

Bryan,    William    J.,    and    the    free- 

i  silver  agitation,  27;  in  Rome,  80, 
|  81;  in  St.  Petersburg,  289,  290, 
291;  and  Gov.  Haskell,  corre 
spondence  with  Roosevelt,  403  -ft; 
letter  of  M.  to,  on  affairs  in  Eu 
rope  (July,  1914),  510,  511;  105, 
373. 

Bryan,  Mrs.  W.  J.,  289.  290. 

Bryce,  Viscount,  350,  391,  415. 

Bulygin  Report,  187. 

Billow,  Prince  Bernbard  H.  von: 
M.'s  interview  with,  226-28;  on 
affairs  in  Russia  and  her  needs, 
227;  disavows  purpose  to  put 
pressure  on  France  at  Algeciras, 
247;  on  the  modern  diplomat, 
323;  59,  60,  63,  69,  84,  225,  231, 
264. 

Bureaucracy,  in  Russia,  evil  influ 
ence  of,  173,  174,  178;  methods  of, 
197,  198. 

Burr,  Francis  H.,  404. 

Burr,  I.  Tucker,  95. 

Butler,  Nicholas  M.,  92,  93. 

Butt,  Archibald  W.,  U.  S.  A.,  403, 
426  and  n.,  443. 

Buxton,  Sydney,  and  "penny  post 
age,"  391,  392,  407;  485,  486. 

Byalostok,  massacre  of  Jews  at, 
292. 


524 


INDEX 


Cadets.  See  Constitutional  Demo 
crats. 

Cadwalader,  Miss,  319. 

Calabrini,  Marchioness,  78. 

Calabrini,  Marquis,  47,  76,  78,  81. 

California:  Tsar  on  school  regula 
tion  in,  332;  school  question, 
339;  Roosevelt  on  discrimination 
against  Japanese  in,  415. 

Cambon,  Jules,  347. 

Cambon,  Paul,  347. 

Campaign  funds  in  presidential 
elections,  265. 

Canada,  postal  savings  bank  system 
in,  368;  340. 

Cannon,  Joseph  G.,  opposes  postal 
savings  banks,  376,  377;  and  Con 
gressional  talk  of  sympathy  with 
Roosevelt  administration,  390 ; 
and  the  Conference  Committee  on 
Payne-Aldrich  Tariff  Bill,  443; 
94,  369,  397,  398,  427. 

Cantacuzene,  Prince,  295,  335  n. 

Cantacuzene,  Princess,  295,  335  n. 

Caperculzie  shooting,   147,   148,  150. 

Capps,  Washington  L.,  U.  S.  N., 
464,  469. 

Cardigan,  Lord,  320. 

Carlo  Alberto,  King  of  Sardinia, 
160. 

Carow,  Miss,  94. 

Carpenter,  Mr.,  465. 

Carter,  J.  R.,  347  and  ».,  348. 

Carter,  Thomas  H.,  390,  418,  436. 

Cassini,  Count,  118,  153,  164,  166, 
167,  168,  169,  194,  196,  255,  268. 

Castro,  Cipriano,  65,  428. 

Catherine,  Russian  Empress,  273. 

Caucasus,  conditions  in,  150. 

Cecchignola,  hunting  at,  50,  51. 

Cecilia,  German  Crown  Princess, 
214,  215. 

Central  America,  troubles  in,  427; 
policy  of  U.  S.  toward,  defined  by 
Knox,  427,  428. 

Cervera  y  Topete,  Pascual,  480. 

Chamberlain,  Houston  S.,  his  Foun 
dations  of  the  Nineteenth  Cen 
tury,  501;  "practically  a  Ger 
man,"  501. 

Chandler,  L,  H.,  U.  S.  N.,  467. 

Chanler,  Winthrop,  91. 

Chappelle,  Mgr.,  Archbishop  of  New 


Orleans,  and  the  Philippines,  40, 
41,  42. 
Chatham  Navy  Yard,  483. 

Chelius,  Herr  von,  88. 

Chicago,  U.  S.  S.:  arrest  of  officers 

of,  at  Venice,  52. 
Chicago  Recordr-Herald,  374. 

Chicago  Tribune,  512. 
China,  neutrality  of,  in  Russo- 
Japanese  War,  86;  integrity  of, 
109,  113,  384;  Kaiser  on  her  neu 
trality  and  integrity,  126;  feeling 
for,  in  U.  S.,  131;  and  the  nego 
tiations  between  Russia  and  Ja 
pan,  194;  rumours  of  secret  treaty 
with  Russia,  257;  Kaiser  on  Rus 
sia's  proper  attitude  toward,  339, 
and  a  possible  coalition  of  Japan 
and,  346. 

Choate,  Joseph  H.,  and  Roosevelt, 
431 ;  44,  398. 

Choate,  Mrs.  Joseph  H.,  44. 

Christian  IX,  of  Denmark:  death  of, 
253  and  n. 

Christian,  Prince  of  Schleswig-Hol- 
stein,  305,  306. 

Christianity  in  the  East,  229. 

Chuknin,  Admiral,  319. 

Churchill,  Winston  S.,  485. 

Clark,  Clarence  D.,  417. 

Clark,  Mrs.  Clarence  D.,  417. 

Class  of  1879,  H.  C.,  17,  95,  96, 
221. 

Clemenceau,  Georges,  quoted,  324; 
"Edward  VII  has  bought  and 
owns  him,"  339. 

Clemens,  Samuel  L.  ("Mark 
Twain"),  272. 

Cleveland,  Grover,  last  illness  and 
death,  397,  398;  19,  493. 

Cohen,  Mr.,  318. 

Collier's  Weekly,  400. 

Cologne  Cathedral,  62. 

Colombia  and  Japan,  365,  371;  re 
lations  of  U.  S.  with,  389;  treaty 
with,  414. 

Colonna,  Prince  Prospero,  71,  81,  82. 

Commune,  the  (1871),  328. 

Conger,  Seymour  B.,  295,  324. 

Connaught,  Arthur,  Duke  of,  217, 
485. 

Connaught,  Duchess  of,  485. 

Constantine,    Crown    Prince,    after- 


INDEX 


525 


wards  King,  of  Greece,  214,  215, 
218,  501,  502. 

Constantine,  Grand  Duke,  252,  253. 
Constantine,    Grand    Duchess,    252, 

253. 

Constitutional  Democrats  (Cadets) 
win  in  election  at  St.  Petersburg, 
268;  Witte  and,  269;  will  control 
Duma,  277,  285;  their  candidate 
for  President,  277;  and  Crown, 
drifting  apart,  298;  Tsar  should 
take  a  Cabinet  from,  298;  unwise 
methods  of,  310;  291,  300. 
Cook,  Frederick  A.,  and  Peary,  464, 

465. 

Coolidge,  J.  Templeman,  95. 
Coolidge,  T.  Jefferson,  324. 
Corea,  exclusive  influence  of  Japan 

in,  194. 

Corporations,  tax  on  net  income  of, 
favored  by  Taft,  434,  435,  438, 
439. 

Corsini,  General,  76,  77,  78. 
Cortelyou,    George    B.,    Roosevelt's 
candidate  for  chairman  of  Repub 
lican  National  Committee,  92,  93; 
Roosevelt's  letter  to,  on  issue  of 
bonds,    etc.,    375,    376;    322,    354, 
365,  373,  374,  380,  381,  405,  412. 
Cost-accounting    in    Navy    Depart 
ment,  454,  455,  470. 
Cotton,  Charles  S.,  U.  S.  N.,  74. 
Council  of  Empire    (Russia),  reor 
ganized,  first  session  of,  282;  how 
constituted,  282;  how  described  by 
a  peasant  deputy,  284. 
Cowles,  William  S.,  U.  S.  N.,  359. 
Cowles,  Mrs.  William  S.,  268,  359. 
Cramps'  Shipbuilding  Co.,  469. 
Cranborne,  Viscount,  44. 
Crane,    W.    Murray,    93,    96,    387, 

417. 

Cranley,  Viscount,  186. 
Crimea,  The,  320. 
Csekonics,  Count  Ivan,  147  and  TO., 

165,  184,  252,  299,  302. 
Cuba:  M.'s  visit  to,  477-481;  people 

of,  479. 

Cummins,  Albert  B.,  434. 
Currie,  Lady,  33,  47,  49. 
Curtis,  Mr.,  80. 

Dagmar,  Dowager  Empress  of  Rus 


sia,    140,   141,  253,   272,    280,  328, 
335. 

Dalny,  194. 

Daniels,  Josephus,  M.  disagrees  with 
his  conduct  of  Navy  Department, 
512.     Letter  of  M.  to,  489. 
Dapper,  Dr.   (Kissingen),  504. 
Dashkoff,  M.,  271,  274. 
Davis,  Clenin,  U.  S.  N.,  396. 
Dawes,  Charles  G.,  91. 
Dead  Letter  Office,  409. 
Delcasse,  Th£ophile,  Kaiser's  suspi 
cions  of,  127;  M.'s  interview  with, 
139;  resigns,  216;  Kaiser  on,  216, 
217;   229. 
Democratic  Party,  more  united  than 

usual  in  1908,  410. 
Depew,  Chauncey  M.,  93. 
Dernidorff,  Orloff,  271. 
Dickinson,  Jacob  M.,  426,  429. 
Dillon,  E.  J.,  232  n;  The  Eclipse  of 

Russia,  283  n. 
Diplomatic    uniforms,    M.    on,    389, 

390. 

Disarmament,  at  the  Hague  Con 
ference,  Kaiser  on,  340;  Victor 
Emmanuel  on,  343;  Sir  E.  Grey 
on,  343,  344. 

Discriminating      duties      (Russian) 
against  U.  S.,  history  of,  201,  202. 
Dodge,  H.  Percival,  226. 
Dogger  Bank  incident,  203. 
Dolgorouky,    Prince,   310,   311,   331, 

335  n.,  415. 

Dolgorouky,  Princess,  244. 
Doria,  Prince,  46. 
Doria,  Princess,  46. 
Doty,  George  H.,  388. 
Douglas,   William   L.,   elected    Gov 
ernor  of  Mass,  in  1904,  105. 
Douglas,  Mrs.  62. 
Dournovo,  M.,  resigns,  277;  242,267, 

269,  272. 

Draga,  Queen  of  Servia,  assassi 
nated,  73,  410. 

Draper,  Eben  S.,  96,  387,  426,  463. 
Draper,  William  F.,  28,  48  and  n. 
Drew,  Mrs.,  485. 
Dubassof,  M.,  Governor-General  of 

Moscow,  252. 

Duma  (first),  Tsar  decides  to  sanc 
tion  convoking  of,  192,  193;  prep 
arations  for  meeting  of,  232; 


'526 


INDEX 


meeting  of,  delayed,  234;  outlook 
for  meeting  of,  256;  a  factor  to 
be  reckoned  with,  239;  regarded 
as  a  panacea  for  all  grievances, 
240;  elections  for,  in  Moscow, 
266,  267;  opening  of,  in  Tauride 
Garden,  273,  278-281,  285;  Tre"- 
poff  quoted  on,  275;  practically  all 
members-elect  opposed  to  govern 
ment,  275;  controlled  by  Cadets, 
277,  281 ;  uncertainty  as  to  its  ac 
tion,  277;  Tsar's  reception  by, 
280;  his  address,  280,  281;  general 
impression  of  members  of,  281; 
purposes  actuating  different  ele 
ments  of,  281,  282;  its  second  ses 
sion,  283;  Muromtseff  chosen 
President,  283;  question  of  am 
nesty  for  political  prisoners,  283, 
284;  reply  to  the  speech  from  the 
throne,  283,  284,  286,  287;  Tsar 
refuses  to  receive  delegation  with 
the  reply,  284;  constitution  of, 
285;  varying  ideas  of  members  of, 
287;  collision  with  Crown  prob 
able,  288;  Goremykin  announces 
denial  of  amnesty,  288,  289;  Is- 
wolsky  on,  291 ;  not  understood  by 
Goremykin,  292;  dismissed,  and 
why,  300;  its  projected  manifesto 
on  agrarian  questions,  300. 

Duma  (second):  date  fixed  for 
meeting  of,  300;  Iswolsky  on 
probable  attitude  of,  333,  349. 

Durand,  Sir  H.  Mortimer,  350. 

Eastern  Yacht  Club,  85,  218. 

Eddy,  Spencer,  111,  129,  132,  139, 
153,  165,  224,  296,  303. 

Edward  VII,  at  home,  67-69;  criti 
cized  by  Kaiser  for  attempting  to 
weaken  Triple  Alliance,  217,  218; 
and  the  Kaiser's  birthday  present, 
230;  Kaiser  on  his  relations  with 
Clemenceau  and  his  government, 
339;  and  the  Hague  Conference, 
340,  349,  350;  M.'s  audience  with, 
384-386;  his  visit  to  Germany,  498; 
44,  70,  138,  142,  211,  305,  336,  347, 
354,  484.  And  see  Great  Britain. 

Edwards,  Clarence  R.,  U.  S.  A.,  396. 

Egerton,  Sir  Edwin,  121,  122,  123, 
124,  128. 


Egerton,  Lady,  123,  128. 

Eisendecker,  Admiral,  59,  74. 

Eitel,  Friedrich,  Prince,  228. 

Elena,  Queen  of  Italy,  M.'s  impres 
sion  of,  41,  45,  46,  49;  gives  birth 
to  a  son,  100;  47,  50,  53,  54,  55,  57, 
67,  68,  71,  72,  76,  77,  78,  79,  81, 
82,  107,  108,  128,  129,  134,  135, 
245,  260,  270. 

Eliot,  Charles  W.,  dinner  given  to, 
in  Washington,  429,  430;  his 
speech,  430;  dinner  given  by  Har 
vard  Club  of  N.  Y.  on  his  retire 
ment,  M.'s  speech  at,  430,  431; 
given  degrees  of  LL.  D.  and  M. 
D.,  and  made  president  emeritus, 
435;  5,  96. 

Elizabeth  of  Hesse,  Grand  Duchess 
Serge,  320,  321,  333,  349. 

Elkins,  Stephen  B.,  361. 

Elkins,  Mrs.  Stephen  B.,  361. 

Elkins,  Miss,  359. 

Ellis,  Mr.,  394. 

Engineering  Magazine,  quoted,  in 
M.'s  administration  of  Navy  De 
partment,  457. 

England:  M.'s  visit  to  (1911),  481  f. 
And  see  Great  Britain. 

Equitable  Life  Assurance  Co.,   183. 

Erskine,  David  M.,  319. 

Essex  Agricultural   Society,   37,  38. 

Essex  Club,  26. 

Essex  County  (Mass.),  and  the  My 
opia  Hunt  Club,  14. 

Eulenberg,  Count,  230,  337. 

Evans,  Robley  D.,  U.  S.  N.,  Roose 
velt's  special  instructions  to,  in 
Eastern  waters,  384,  385;  155. 

Expropriation  of  private  land 
(Russia),  288,  291,  292,  300. 

Fairbanks,    Charles    W.,    396,    424, 

425. 

Falgari,  Count  Bruschi,  33. 
Falkenhayn,   General   von,  497,  500, 

501,  502,  503. 
Feodora,  Princess,  84. 
Ferdinand,  Tsar  of  Bulgaria,  501. 
Ferdinand,     Crown      Prince      (now 

King)   of  Roumania,  485. 
Fersen,  Count,  271,  274,  311,  335  n. 
Fersen,  Countess,  271,  274,  311,  415. 
Filipinos,  The,  Abp.    Chappelle  on, 


INDEX 


527 


41 ;  MacArthur's  opinion  of,  43. 

Financial  panic  of  1907,  beginning 
of,  374  and  n.,  375;  measures  of 
Cabinet  to  relieve,  375,  376. 

Fisheries  treaty  with  Great  Britain, 
415. 

Fletcher,  F.  F.,  U.  S.  N.,  467,  468. 

Flint,  Charles  R.,  150,  151,  207. 

Florio,  Donna  Franca,  128. 

Flotow,  Herr  von,  337. 

Foraker,  Joseph  B.,  Taft  and,  402, 
404. 

Fore  River  Engine  Co.:  M.'s  alleged 
relations  with,  419. 

Foreign  letter  postage:  reduction  of, 
sought  by  M.,  367;  proposed  re 
duction,  approved  in  Great  Brit 
ain,  391  and  n.;  adopted  as  be 
tween  U.  S.  and  Great  Britain, 
392,  407,  408;  letter  of  J.  H.  Hea- 
ton  on,  407. 

Fort  Hill  Chemical  Co.,  12. 

Foss,  George  E.,  469   and  n. 

Foster,  John  W.,  165. 

Foster,  Murphy  J.,  417,  46a 

Fraginito,  Duke  of,  33,  34. 

France,  alliance  with  Russia,  117$ 
118,  121,  185,  188,  189,  268;  feeling 
of  diplomats  of,  toward  Russia, 
127,  128;  alliance  with  Great 
Britain,  185;  attitude  of  press  of, 
in  conference  of  Tsar  and  Kaiser, 
188,  189;  and  the  dispute  over 
Morocco,  216,  217;  her  great  stake 
in  Russia,  227;  attitude  of  gov 
ernment  toward  Algeciras  Con 
ference,  243;  wishes  moral  sup 
port  of  Russia,  243;  fears  Ger 
man  demands,  243,  246;  designs 
antagonistic  to,  disavowed  by  von 
Billow,  247;  Spring-Rice  on  dan 
ger  of  irritation  with  Germany, 
256;  Schoen  on  nervousness  of, 
262;  and  Germany,  at  Algeciras, 
262,  263,  266,  268;  signs  of  good 
feeling  with  Germany  distasteful 
to  Great  Britain,  339,  340;  and  the 
integrity  of  China,  384. 

Francis  Joseph,  Emperor,  217. 

Franckenstein,  Herr  von,  165. 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  409. 

Fraseo,  Count,  80. 


Frasso,  Prince,  123. 

Frasso,  Princess,  123. 

Frederick  the  Great,  228. 

Fredericks,  Baron,   185. 

Free  list  (tariff),  Taft's  position  on, 

442. 
French  Revolution,  parallel  between, 

and  events  in  Russia  in  1905,  233, 

234;   241. 

French  tariff,  381. 
Frescheville,  M.  de,  140. 
Frothingham,  Louis  A.,  400. 
Fuller,    Melville   W.,   Chief   Justice, 

425,  426. 

Funston,  Frederick,  43. 
Fiirstenberg,    Prince,    88,    196,    236, 

246,  247,  271,  274,  330. 
Fiirstenberg,  Princess,  85,  248,  271, 

274,  330,  486. 

Fiirstenberg  von  Fiirstenberg,  Prin 
cess,  85. 
Fusinato,  Signer,  106,  136. 

Galitzine,  Princess,  261,  290,  295, 
331,  335  n. 

Gallinger,  Jacob  H.,  417. 

Ganghofer,  Herr  (novelist),  323, 
324. 

Gapon,  Father,  murder  of,  283  and 
n.;  115. 

Gardner,  Augustus  P.,  28. 

Garfield,  James  R.,  95,  222,  397, 403, 
406,  409,  411,  421. 

Garfield,  Mrs.  Helen  N.,  420. 

Garibaldi,  Giuseppe,  87. 

Garibaldi,  Ricciotti,  and  the  Mace 
donian  question,  87. 

Garrett,  J.  W.,  226. 

Genoa,  Duchess  of,  53  and  n. 

Genoa,  Duke  of,  50  and  n.,  53  and 
n.,  54,  68,  69,  107. 

"Gentleman  from  Mississippi,  The," 
403,  404,  405. 

George  Michailovitch,  Grand  Duke, 
260. 

Gerard,  James  W.,  Kaiser  curious 
about  him,  497,  498,  504. 

Gerard,  Mrs.   Mary,  504. 

Gerard,  Sumner,  497. 

Germany:  feeling  in,  toward  Russia, 
114;  bankers  in,  and  the  Russian 
loan  of  1905,  114,  121;  Victor 
Emmanuel  on  probable  agreement 


528 


INDEX 


of,  with  Russia,  122,  126;  provi 
sions  of  new  treaty  with  Russia, 
156;  rumors  of  agreement  be 
tween  Russia  and,  185  and  n.f 
188;  and  France,  209;  and  Great 
Britain,  relations  why  strained, 
217,  218;  optimism  in,  concerning 
Russian  affairs,  227;  feeling  to 
ward,  in  Great  Britain,  230; 
French  distrust  of,  in  advance  of 
Algeciras  Conference,  243,  246; 
disavows  purpose  of  putting  pres 
sure  on  France,  247;  Spring- 
Rice  on  danger  of  French  irrita 
tion  with,  256;  and  France,  at 
Algeciras,  263,  266,  268;  election 
in  (1907),  332,  338;  signs  of  good 
feeling  between  France  and,  dis 
tasteful  to  Great  Britain,  339, 
340;  and  Russia,  340;  natural  ally 
of  U.  S.  in  case  of  war  with 
Japan,  340;  and  disarmament, 
345,  346;  "making  up"  to  U.  S., 
350;  hysteria  over,  in  Great  Brit 
ain,  433,  434;  her  merchants  un 
derselling  British  everywhere, 
433;  and  the  "barbarities"  pro 
hibited  in  war,  440  n.;  relations 
between  railroads  and  army  and 
navy  in,  482;  in  1913,  493;  Kaiser 
on  increasing  her  army  and  navy 
— to  insure  peace,  499,  500;  ex 
perience  of  the  Meyers  in,  in  July, 
1914,  505-510. 

Gianotti,  Count,  34,  136. 

Gianotti,  Countess,   71. 

Gibson,  Major,  U.  S.  A.,  313,  316. 

Gillett,  James  N.,  416,  473,  476. 

Giolitti,   Signor,   104. 

Glasoff,  M.,  192. 

Glavis,  Mr.,  and  the  Ballinger- 
Pinchot  controversy,  445. 

Goat  Island  (San  Francisco),  474, 
475. 

Goelet,  Mrs.,  61. 

Goleschowski,  Count,  272. 

Goodrich,  Caspar  F.,  U.  S.  N.,  469. 

Goss,  Mrs.  C.  A.,  letter  of  M.  to, 
489. 

Goremykin,  M.,  appointed  Prime 
Minister  of  Russia,  276;  an 
nounces  denial  of  amnesty  to  po 
litical  prisoners,  289;  M.'s  inter 


view  with,  291,  292;  his  complaint 
of  British  press,  "owned  by 
Jews,"  292;  M.'s  impression  of, 
292;  does  not  grasp  the  situation, 
292;  resigns,  301. 

Gorky,  Maxim,  in  U.  S.,  272,  282. 

Goubastow,  M.,  299. 

Goudovitch,  Countess,  274. 

Grant,  Frederick  D.,  293,  361. 

Grant,  Mrs.  Frederick  D.,  93. 

Grant,  Ulysses  S.,  391. 

Graves,  Lieut.,  U.  S.  A.,  404. 

Gray,  Miss,  59. 

Great      Britain,      Kaiser's      feeling 
toward  (1905),  127;  and  the  com 
mercial  results  of  Russo-Japanese 
War,  214;  strained  relations  with 
Germany   augmented   by  jealousy 
between    King    and    Kaiser,    217, 
218;    feeling  toward   Germany  in, 
230;    and    the    Algeciras    Confer 
ence,    243;    system    of    appointing 
ambassadors     in,     258;     relations 
with      Russia     compromised      by 
Times     correspondent,     274;     Go 
remykin    complains    of    press    of, 
292;  signs  of  good  feeling  between 
France    and    Germany    distasteful 
to,  339,  340;   aim  of  her  alliance 
with  Japan,  340;  Hardinge  on  rela 
tions    with   Japan,   346;    disarma 
ment  in,  dependent  on  Germany's 
policy,  345,  346;  and  the  integrity 
of  China,  384;   Roosevelt_on   her 
Turkish      policy,      410;      fisheries 
treaty  with,  415;  hysteria  in,  over 
Germany,     433;     Parliament     bill 
(1911),  484,   485    and   n.;   Kaiser 
on  feeling  between  Germany  and 
(1911),  498. 
Grelle,  M.  de,  303. 
Grelle,  Mme.   de,  303. 
Grelle,  Rogier,  Comte  de,  303. 
Grey,    Sir    Edward:    M.'s    interview 
with    (1907),  344-346;  his  person 
ality,    344;    quoted,    on    disarma 
ment,   344,   345;    Kaiser   on,   498; 
336,  347,  354,  485. 
Griscom,  Lloyd  C.,  61,  62. 
Griswold,  Frank,  177. 
Groton   School,   21,   187. 
Griimer,  Herr  von,  88. 
Grumm,    Captain,   98. 


INDEX 


529 


Guantanamo,  harbour  of,  as  a  naval 
base  for  defense  of  Panama 
Canal,  481;  477,  478. 

Guglielmi,   Marquis,   132. 

Guicciardini,  Countess,  68. 

Gurka,  M.,  324. 

Hagner,  Miss,  403. 

Hague,  The,  Russia  wishes  peace 
conference  with  Japan  to  be  held 
at,  166  and  n.;  Kaiser  quotes  Ed 
ward  VII  on,  340 ;  question  of  dis 
armament  at,  340,  343,  344;  Ed 
ward  VII  on,  350. 

Hale,  Eugene,  419,  433,  439,  469. 

Halsbury,  Earl  of,  485. 

Hamilton,  Mass.,  home  of  Myopia 
Hunt  Club,  14,  15;  M.'s  residence 
at,  15,  26. 

Hanna,  Marcus  A.,  93. 

Harbin   (China),  194. 

Harcourt,  Lewis,  485,  486. 

Harcourt,  Sir  William  Vernon,  44. 

Hardinge,  Sir  Charles,  on  England's 
attitude  toward  Algeciras  Con 
ference,  243;  on  Japan  and  Great 
Britain,  346;  147,  149,  165,  169, 
186,  191,  205,  246,  340,  344,  347. 

Hardinge,  Lady,  165,  196. 

Hardy,  Alpheus  H.,  11. 

Hardy,  Alpheus  H.  &  Co.,  M.  enters 
employ  of,  11. 

Harper,  Mr.,  273. 

Harper's    Weekly,  466,   512. 

Harriman,  J.  Borden,  91. 

Harvard   Alumni   Bulletin,   7  TO. 

Harvard  Club  of  New  York,  430. 

Harvard   Stadium,   95   and  n. 

Harvard  University,  M.'s  course  in, 
6,  7;  confers  LL.D.  on  M.,  6; 
M.  President  of  Overseers,  6,  494, 
495;  Kaiser's  gifts  to,  60;  Com 
mencement  (1904),  398,  (1909), 
435;  gives  degree  of  LL.D.  and 
M.D.  to  President  Eliot,  435. 

Haskell,  Charles  N.,  Governor  of 
Oklahoma,  and  Standard  Oil, 
403,  404,  405,  406,  410. 

Hatzfeldt,   Prince,  337. 

Hatzfeldt,  Princess,  337. 

Haughton,  Percy  D.,  404. 

Havana,  478-480. 

Hawaii,  339,  371. 


Hay,  Adelbert,  486. 
Hay,  John,  death  of,  172,  176;  M.'s 
estimate  of,  173;  on  M.'s  work  at 
St.  Petersburg,  484;  Senate  re 
fuses  to  allow  him  to  accept 
French  decoration,  431;  65,  66, 
81,  86,  109,  127,  155,  177,  187,  194, 
210. 

Hayti,  affairs  in,  89,  107. 

Heaton,  J.  Henniker,  letter  to  M.  on 
penny  postage,  407. 

Helena,   Princess   Christian,  305. 

Henderson,  Nevile,  301,  302. 

Henry,  Prince,  of  Prussia,  59,  60, 
61,  74,  85,  142,  143,  215,  228,  230, 
500. 

Herrick,  Myron  T.,  42,  92,  93,  482. 

Herrick,  Mrs.  Caroline  M.,  93. 

Herwarth,  Major  von,  500. 

Hesse,  Prince  of,  214,  215. 

Hesse,  Princess  of,  214,  215. 

Hibben,  Mr.,  299,  300. 

Higgins,  Frank  W.,  elected  Gover 
nor  of  N.  Y.,  105. 

Higginson,  Henry  L.,  44,  95. 

Hill,  David  Jayne,  389,  390. 

Hintze,  Captain,  185,  328. 

Hitchcock,  Frank  H.,  384,  393,  399, 
412,  413,  442. 

Hoar,  George  F.,  28. 

Hobson,  Richmond  P.,  480. 

Hoffman,  William,  486. 

Hohenlohe,  Prince  von,  189,  195,  196, 
206,  207,  209,  236,  252,  261. 

Hohenzollern,  royal  yacht,  Mrs. 
Meyer  lunches  on,  97-100;  M. 
lunches  on,  495  f. 

Holmes,  John  A.,  363,  369. 

Holstein,  Duchess  of,  228,  229. 

Homburg,  M.'s  interview  with  Kaiser 
at,  211  f .;  41. 

Honduras,  428. 

Howard,  Captain,  U.  S.  N.,  108. 

Howells,  William  D.,   272. 

Hsu  Keoh,   87. 

Huene,  Baron,  239,  266,  330,  335  TO. 

Huene,  Baroness,  239,  330,  335  TO. 

Hughes,  Charles  E.,  as  candidate  for 
Republican  nomination  for  Presi 
dent,  365,  373;  candidate  for  Gov 
ernor  of  N.  Y.,  410;  and  the 
Republican  nomination  in  1916, 
514,  515;  as  candidate,  supplied 


530 


INDEX 


by    M.    with    campaign    material, 

516. 

Hugo,  Victor,  398. 
Humbert,    King    of    Italy,    34,    44, 

Iddings,  Lewis  M.,  32,  6T,  76. 

Iddings,  Mrs.  Lewis  M.,  67. 

Ignatieff,  General,  193. 

Imatra,  salmon-fishing  at,  196  and 
n.,  299. 

Immaculate  Conception,  celebration 
of,  107,  108. 

Imperiali,  Marquis,  484. 

Income  tax,  constitutionality  of,  435. 

Insurance  companies,  in  N.  Y.,  in 
vestigation  of,  265. 

Irene,  Princess  Henry,  85,  230. 

Iswolsky,  M.,  succeeds  Lamsdorff 
as  Russian  Minister  for  Foreign 
A  if  airs,  282,  283;  M.'s  opinion 
of,  288,  338;  on  the  situation  in 
the  Duma,  291;  and  the  Byalostok 
massacres,  293,  294,  296;  on  French 
and  British  press,  310;  M.'s  final 
interview  with,  333  f.;  quoted,  on 
the  Tsarina,  333;  on  the  second 
Duma,  333;  on  negotiations  with 
Japan,  334,  335;  290,  304,  309,  330 
332,  336,  339,  354,  415. 

Italian  Chamber  of  Deputies,  pro 
ceedings  in,  65. 

Italian  war  relief,  M.'s  last  public 
appearance  at  meetitng  in  behalf 
of,  517. 

Italy,  McKinley  appoints  M.  Am 
bassador  to,  28;  M.'s  service  as 
Ambassador  to,  30-136;  office  of 
U.  S.  Ambassador  to,  a  "  listening- 
post"  in  the  European  world,  36, 
37;  and  the  Venezuela  affair,  65, 
66;  and  the  Republic  of  Panama, 
79;  Socialist  demonstrations  in, 
104;  parliamentary  elections  in, 
106;  favourable  to  arbitration 
treaty  with  U.  S.,  106;  agrees  to 
participate  in  second  Hague  Con 
ference,  106,  107;  opening  of  Par 
liament,  107;  in  accord  with  U.  S. 
on  integrity  of  China  and  the 
Open  Door,  109,  113;  M.  resigns 
as  Ambassador  to,  118;  advance 
in  prosperity  of,  during  his  stay, 


134;  M.  on  his  ambassadorship, 
136;  her  lukewarm  support  of 
Germany  at  Algeciras,  272;  M.'s 
attachment  for,  343;  parcel-post 
convention  with,  397.  And  see 
Victor  Emmanuel  III. 

Ito,  Marquis,  Witte's  opinion  of, 
182;  169. 

Ivan  the  Terrible,  325. 

Jackson,   John   B.,  479,   480. 

Jagow,  Herr  von,  M.'s  interview 
with,  in  July,  1914,  and  its  sequel, 
504,  509. 

James,    Thomas    L.,    392. 

Jamestown  Exposition,  360,  361. 

Japan,  breaks  off  diplomatic  rela 
tions  with  Russia,  83;  Italian 
sympathy  with,  83;  Victor  Em 
manuel  III  on  progress  of,  90; 
cause  of  change  of  feeling  of 
British  and  Americans  in  East 
toward,  112,  113;  policy  of,  as 
to  Port  Arthur  and  Sakhaline 
Island,  124,  125;  loan  of  1905, 
133,  134;  her  fleet  destroys  Rus 
sian  fleet,  151,  152;  her  army  un 
conquerable,  160;  consents  to 
pourparlers  with  Russia,  163;  in 
vited  to  send  representatives  to 
conference  in  U.  S.,  164;  her 
agreement  to  send  plenipotenti 
aries  announced  by  Roosevelt, 
175;  and  the  proposed  armistice, 
175,  176,  180;  and  U.  S.,  alleged 
secret  alliance  between,  183;  prob 
able  demands,  of,  for  territory  and 
immunity,  194;  progress  of  nego 
tiations  at  Portsmouth,  194;  is 
she  trying  to  humiliate  Russia?, 
195;  waives  claim  to  war-indem 
nity,  203;  her  war  expenses,  203, 
204;  her  financial  condition,  204; 
her  attitude  toward  peace  influ 
enced  by  her  idea  of  conditions 
in  Russia,  204;  her  financial  status 
and  its  influence  on  Russia's 
attitude,  205,  206;  and  the  com 
mercial  results  of  the  war,  213, 
214;  asks  Roosevelt  to  make  peace 
for  her,  220;  Iswolsky  on  nego 
tiations  with,  334,  335;  her  exact 
ing  demands,  334;  and  the  Open 


INDEX 


531 


Door,  335;  Kaiser  on  prospects  of 
war  between  U.  S.  and,  339;  her 
scheme  of  conquest,  339;  has  spies 
everywhere,  339;  Kaiser  on  pos 
sible  coalition  of,  with  China,  346; 
Hardinge  on  relations  of  Great 
Britain  with,  346;  supposed  ar 
rangement  with  Colombia  in  case 
of  war  with  U.  S.,  365,  371;  Root 
on  relations  of,  with  U.  S.,  371; 
possibility  of  war  with  U.  S.,  377; 
Kaiser's  statement  as  to  her  troops 
in  Mexico,  383;  Cabinet  discus 
sion  on,  383,  384;  expense  of  her 
army  and  navy,  383;  Roosevelt  on 
"  sublimated  sweetbreads "  who 
ignore  chance  of  trouble  with, 
383;  his  instructions  to  Evans  as 
to  precautions,  384,  385;  rumours 
of  her  designs  circulated  by 
Kaiser,  385;  invites  U.  S.  fleets 
to  visit  her  ports,  385;  wishes  to 
study  U.  S.  system  of  cost-ac 
counting,  470;  apprehension  of 
attack  by,  on  Pacific  coast,  472. 
And  see  Portsmouth,  Russo- 
Japanese  War. 

Japanese,  discrimination  against  in 
California  and  Nevada,  con 
demned  by  Roosevelt,  415,  416. 

Japanese  immigration,  381. 

Japanese  lady,  the  only  one  in  St. 
Petersburg,  303. 

Japanese  prisoners  of  war,  M.'s 
service  in  caring  for,  211,  253. 

Jay,  Augustus,  95. 

Jews,  participation  of,  in  revolu 
tionary  disturbances  in  Russia, 
239;  persecution  of,  297;  preju 
dice  against,  in  Russia,  302;  in 
Odessa,  316,  318,  319;  class  of, 
who  emigrate  to  U.  S.,  318.  And 
see  Byalostok. 

Joachim,  Prince,  337  and  n. 

Johnston  Gate,  The  (Harvard),  7. 

Jones,  Beatrix,  486. 

Jones,  Mrs.,  486. 

Jusserand,  Jules,  "  President  of  the 
Mollycoddles,"  381;  on  Roose 
velt  as  a  worker,  431;  and  Bern- 
storff,  rivalry  between,  441;  357, 
360,  377,  378,  412,  420. 

Juliano,   Count,   46. 


Jusserand,  Mme.  Jules,  357,  360,  420. 

Kaiserlichen  Yacht   Club,  58,  59. 

Kaneko,  Mr.,  220. 

Kaulbars,  Baron,  Military  Governor 
of  Odessa,  his  policy,  317;  at 
tempt  on  his  life,  317,  318;  on 
Jews  of  the  emigratory  class,  318. 

Kaulbars,    Baroness,    317. 

Kean,  John,  417. 

Kean,  Mrs.  John,  417. 

Keller,  Count,  252. 

Kelley,  Captain,  479. 

Kernochan,  Mrs.,  362. 

Key  West,  477,  478. 

Kiel,  yacht  races  at,  58  f. 

Kiel  Canal,  62,  503. 

King,  Monsignor,  88,  89. 

Kinnicutt,  Dr.,  486. 

Kitchener,  Earl,  485. 

Kleinmichel,  Countess,  her  house  in 
St.  Petersburg  becomes  U.  S.  Em 
bassy,  144 ;  was  it  "  a  palace  "  ? 
259;  208,  252. 

Klemperer,  Mrs.,  58. 

Knickerbocker  Trust  Co.,  374  n. 

Knollys,  Lord,  230  and  n.,  384. 

Knox,  Philander  C.,  appointed  Sec'y 
of  State  by  Taft,  414;  why  in 
eligible  for  Cabinet,  417 ;  on  policy 
of  U.  S.  toward  Central  America, 
427,  428;  420,  426,  432,  433,  442. 

Knox,  Mrs.  Lillie  (Smith),  417. 

Knyaz-Potemkin,  battleship,  mutiny 
on,  172,  173,  176,  177,  179. 

Koester,  Admiral  von,  464. 

Kohlsaat,  H.  H.,  93. 

Kokovtzoff,  M.,  154,  156,  192,  195, 
201,  202. 

Korea,  334. 

Korff,  Baron,  244,  261,  331. 

Kotschowsky,  Princess,  211. 

Kremlin,  The,  320,  321. 

Kuropatkin,  General,  113,  129. 

Labor  unions  (Russian),  leaders  of, 

arrested,  234. 
Lafarge,  John,  359. 
Lafarge,  Mrs.  John,  359. 
Laffan,    William    M.,    464    and    n., 

465. 

La  Follette,  Robert  M.,  92. 
Lamsdorif,  Count,  and  M.'s  request 


532 


INDEX 


for  immediate  audience  with  Tsar, 
157,  158;  prefers  The  Hague  to 
Washington  for  peace  conference, 
but  finally  agrees  to  the  latter, 
166-169;  quoted  by  Hardinge  on 
selection  of  plenipotentiaries,  169; 
seeks  to  frustrate  Tsar's  good  in 
tentions,  173,  174;  "tricky  and 
not  absolutely  reliable,"  178; 
change  in  his  attitude,  179;  his 
unfortunate  communique',  180;  op 
posed  to  a  national  assembly,  187, 
192;  dinner  given  by,  to  Motono, 
267;  his  instructions  to  Cassini 
at  Algeciras,  268;  141,  149,  151, 
154,  163,  164,  170,  171,  172,  175, 
181,  183,  185,  186,  193, 195, 198,206, 
207,  208,  210,  242,  264,  276,  282, 
338. 

Langtry,   A.   P.,   387. 

Lanier,   Mr.,   62. 

Lansdowne,  Marquis  of,  on  affairs 
in  Russia,  223,  224;  227,  231,  347, 
485. 

Lante,  Duchess  Grazioli,  56. 

Lante,  Ludovico,  79. 

La  Rosa,  Duke  of,  48. 

Lascelles,  Sir  F.  C.,  340  and  n. 

Lawrence,  Amory  A.,  417. 

Lawrence,  James,  383. 

Lawrence,  Julia,  417. 

Lawrence,  Rt.  Rev.  William,  on 
M.'s  work  in  Navy  Dep't,  491; 
96,  416,  417. 

Lee,  Fitzhugh,  388. 

Leghait,  Madame,  123,  505. 

Leo   XIII,    Pope,   56,    70. 

Leopold,  King  of  Belgium,  45,  501. 

Le  Roy,  Stuyvesant,  177. 

Lester,'  Reginald,  123. 

Letitia,  Princess,  53  and  n. 

Leuchtenberg,  Duchess  of  (Princess 
Anastasie  of  Montenegro),  260, 
342  and  n.,  349  and  n. 

Leuchtenberg,  George,  Duke  of,  260, 
342  n. 

Leutze,  Eugene  H.  C.,  U.  S.  N.,  460, 
461. 

Libau,  revolt  of  marines  at,  171, 
173,  176,  178. 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  493. 

Linden,  Admiral  von,  218. 

Linder  and  Meyer,  M.  becomes  a 
member  of,  11,  12. 


Linevich,  General,  189,  204,  242,  253. 
Littauer,  Lucius  N.,  and  the  tariff 

on  ladies'  gloves,  443. 
Livadia,    Tsar's    palace   at,   320. 

Lodge,  Henry  Cabot,  42,  75,  76, 
93,  94,  96,  108,  109,  115,  119,  251,. 
296,  357,  365,  381,  387,  388,  401, 
403,  425,  426,  427,  429,  431,  432, 
436,  440,  463.  Letters  of  M.  to, 
119,  127,  129,  231,  255,  277,  329. 

Lodz,  disturbance  at,  173,  176. 

Loeb,  William,  Jr.,  393. 

Logan,  G.  W.,  U.  S.  N.,  467. 

London,  M.'s  visit  to,  in  1905,  223, 
224;  41,  42. 

London  Daily  Telegraph,  232  n. 

Long,  John  D.,  93. 

Longworth,  Alice  (Roosevelt),  400, 
428,  437,  443.  And  see  Roosevelt, 
Alice. 

Longworth,  Nicholas,  377,  437,  443. 

Loomis,  Francis  B.,  219. 

Lords,  House  of,  bill  limiting  pow 
ers  of,  484. 

Loreburn,  Earl,  486. 

Los  Angeles,  475,  476. 

Lothrop,  George  V.  M.,  239  and  n. 

Loubet,  Emile,  at  Rome,  89,  90;  76,. 
216. 

Louise,  Princess,  102,  103. 

Lovenorn,  M.  de,  153,  253,  289. 

Lowell,  A.  L.,  new  Pres.  of  Har 
vard,  435,  436. 

Lowell,  Francis  C.,  quoted,  on  M., 
23,  24;  his  Atlantic  paper  on 
"American  Diplomacy,"  258  and 
n.  Letter  of  M.  to,  258. 

Lyman,  Geoerge  H.,  93. 

Lyncker,  Hofmarshal  von,  87,  88, 
211,  212,  215. 

MacArthur,  Arthur,  U.  S.  A.,  re 
port  on  the  Philippines,  42,  43; 
41. 

McCall,  Samuel  W.,  quoted,  24,  25. 

MacCawley,  Charles,  U.  S.  N.,  396, 
443. 

McCormick,  Robert  L.,  129   and  n. 

McEnery,  Samuel  D.,  463. 

McKenna,    Reginald,  484,   485,   486. 

McKim,  Charles  F.,  and  the  restora 
tion  of  the  White  House,  63,  67; 
31,  91,  105,  109. 


INDEX 


533 


McKim,  Mrs.  Charles  F.,  Mrs. 
Meyer's  sister,  31. 

McKinley,  William,  appoints  M. 
Ambassador  to  Italy,  28,  29;  M.'s 
interview  with  at  Canton,  O. 
(1901),  42,  43;  shot  at  Buffalo, 
43;  his  death,  43;  M.'s  impression 
of,  44;  memorial  service  for,  at 
Westminster  Abbey,  44;  105,  263. 

McKinley  Tariff  Act,  and  Demo 
cratic  claims,  201. 

MacNutt,  Francis  A.,  40  and  n. 

MacVeagh,  Franklin,  426,  432,  434, 
443. 

MacVeagh,  Wayne,  48  and  n. 

Macedonia,  and  Turkey,  proposed 
arbitration  between,  87;  112. 

Mackay,  Clarence  H.,  510. 

Mafalda,  Princess,  63  and  n.,  78. 

Malvano,  Signer,  136. 

Manchuria,  in  the  treaty  between 
Russia  and  Japan,  194;  112, 
334. 

Manila,  40. 

Marcoe,  Dr.,  62,  484. 

Marcoe,  Mrs.,  62,  484. 

Marconi  system,  60. 

Mare   Island   Navy  Yard,   474. 

Margherita,  Queen-Mother  (Italy), 
M.'s  impression  of,  48;  M.'s  fare 
well  audience  with,  133;  33,  58, 
102,  108. 

Marlborough,   Duchess   of,  486. 

Martin,  M.,  303. 

Martini,  Countess,  68. 

Massachusetts,  elects  Democratic 
governor  in  1904,  105;  attitude  of, 
on  tariff,  443. 

Massachusetts  House  of  Repre 
sentatives,  M.'s  service  in,  21  #Y, 
25,  26;  M.  Speaker  of,  21,  22; 
passes  resolution  of  thanks  to  M., 
23,  24. 

Massachusetts  State  House,  preser 
vation  of  "  Bulfinch  front "  of,  25, 
26. 

Mayor  des  Planches,  Signer,  83. 

Meadowbrook  Club,  14. 

Mechin,   Mme.,   123. 

Medhurst,  Mr.,  312,  313. 

Medici,  Peruzzi  di,  64. 

Medici  Palace   (Turin),  103. 

Melegari,  Chevalier,  147. 

Melegari,  Mme.,  208. 


Mengden,  Count,  335  n. 
Mengden,  Countess,  276,  335  n. 
Merchants    Nat'l    Bank    of    Boston, 

12,  494. 

Merry  del  Val,  Cardinal,  90,  135. 
Mestchersky,  Prince,  336  n. 
Mestchersky,  Princess,  336  TO. 
Metcalf,    Victor   H.,   322,  358,   360, 

363,  395,  396,  397. 
Metcalf,  Mrs.  Emily  C.,  359,  360. 
Metropolitan  Magazine,  512. 
Mexico,    rumours    as    to    Japanese 

troops    in,    383;     Falkenhayn    on 

probable  intervention  of,  in  U.  S . 

503;   428. 
Meyer,  Alice,  M.'s  daughter,  marries 

C.  P.  R.  Rodgers,  U.  S.  N.,  517; 

13,  28,    51,    76,    77,   98,    129,    132, 
135,   151,   152,   277,  288,  295,  302, 
359,  417,  426,  437.     Letter  of  M. 
to,  259. 

Meyer,  F.  L.,  M.'s  great-uncle,  4. 
Meyer,    George    Augustus,    I,    M.'s 

grandfather,  3. 
Meyer,    George    Augustus,    II,    M.'s 

father,  3,  6,   11. 
MEYER,   GEORGE   vour   LENGERKE. 

I.  Beginnings. — Birth    and    an 
cestry,  3-5;  his  course  at  Harvard, 
5,  6;  first  visit  to  Europe,  6;  rows 
on  his   class   crew,   7;    his    addic 
tion  to  sports,  7,  8. 

II.  Affairs     and    Politics.— En 
ters  office  of  A.  H.  Hardy  &  Co., 
11;  becomes  a  member  of  Linder 
&    Meyer,    12;    director   in    many 
large    corporations,     12;     marries 
Marian   A.   Appleton,   12,   13;   his 
children,  13;  and  the  Myopia  Hunt 
Club,  13,  14,  15;  and  Rock  Maple 
Farm,    15;    becomes   interested  in 
politics  in  Boston,  16,  17;  in  the 
Common  Council,  17,  19;  "caught 
young"   in  politics,  18;  a  "regu 
lar"   Republican,    18,   19;    a  resi 
dent  of  the  Ninth  Ward  of  Bos 
ton,  19;  a  member  of  Ninth  Ward 
Republican    Committee,    20;    goes 
from  Common   Council  to  Board 
of  Aldermen,  20;  his  work  in  the 
City  Council,  20;  elected  five  times 
to    Mass.    House    of    Representa 
tives,  21;  Speaker,   1894-1896,  21; 
his  success  in  the  Speaker  ship,  21, 


534 


INDEX 


22,  23-25;  advice  to  his  son,  22, 
23;  F.  C.  Lowell  and  S.  W.  Mc- 
Call,  on  his  qualitites  as  a  legis 
lator,  23-25;  summary  of  legis 
lation  with  which  he  was  specially 
associated,  25,  26;  establishes  legal 
residence  at  Hamilton,  Mass.,  in 
1896,  26 ;  Chairman  of  Mass.  Paris 
Exposition  Managers,  26;  political 
activities,  26;  a  "sound-money 
man,"  26,  27;  and  Roosevelt's 
nomination  for  Vice-President, 
27;  contemplates  running  for 
Congress  in  Sixth  Mass.  District, 
•27,  28,  51;  offered  Ambassador 
ship  to  Italy  by  McKinley,  28; 
and  accepts,  29. 

III.  Ambassador  to  Italy. — 
Appointment  confirmed  by  U.  S. 
Senate,  30;  begins  to  keep  a 
diary,  30;  faithfulness  and  au 
thenticity  of  the  diary,  30,  81; 
arrival  at  Naples,  32;  poisoned 
by  eating  fish,  32;  arrival^at 
Rome,  32;  first  audience  witlflhe 
King,  33,  34;  moves  from  Grand 
Hotel  to  Palazzo  Brancaccio,  34, 

35,  36;  his  Ricevimento,  34,  35,  47, 
48 ;  his  diary  in  Rome  summarized, 

36,  37;  39;  his  social  relations,  37; 
hunting  in  the  Campagna,  37,  50, 
51,  79;  80,  81,  82,  83;  his  prophecy 
concerning  the  automobile  in  1897, 

37,  38;   introduces   the   motor-car 
to  the  King,  38,  39;  audience  with 
the  King,  40;  at  Homburg,  41,  and 
in  London,  41,  42;  visits  McKinley 
at  Canton,  42,  43;  on  the  shooting 
and   death   of  McKinley,   43,   44; 
attends  memorial  service  at  West 
minster   Abbey,  44;   and  Leopold 
of  Belgium,  45;  returns  to  Rome, 
45;    audience   with   the    King,   45; 
and    the    American    Academy    at 
Rome,    45;    audience   with    Queen 
Elena,  45,  46;  at  the  Doria  Palace, 
46;   at  Court  reception  to  Diplo 
matic  Corps,  46,  47;  audience  with 
Margherita    (Queen   Mother),  48; 
dinner    at    Court,    48,    49;    plays 
cards  with  clergyman  on  Sunday, 
49;  at  the  opening  of  Parliament, 
50;  arrest  of  U.  S.  naval  officers 


at  Venice,  52,  53;  visits  Turin,  53- 
55;  visit  of  the  Shah  of  Persia  to 
Rome,  55-57;  at  Naples,  57,  58; 
rumours  of  a  change  in  the  Em 
bassy,  58;  the  Concours  Hvppique 
at  Turin,  58;  meets  the  Kaiser  at 
the  yacht  races  at  Kiel,  58  jf.; 
presented  to  the  Kaiser,  59,  and 
converses  with  him,  60;  visits  U. 
S.  in  summer  of  1902,  62,  63- 
returns  to  Rome,  63;  audience 
with  the  King,  63,  64;  shooting 
and  hunting  at  Ardea,  64;  at  meet 
ing  of  Anglo-American  Home,  64, 
65;  on  the  Italian  Chamber  of 
Deputies,  65;  on  Italy  and  the 
Venezuela  affair,  65,  66;  the  minor 
troubles  of  an  ambassador  66- 
amateur  theatricals  at  Palazzo 
Brancaccio,  66,  67;  talks  with  Gen. 
Wood  on  Roosevelt's  prospects  of 
nomination  and  election  in  1904 
67;  gala  performance  at  the  opera 
m  honour  of  Edward  VII,  68,  69  • 
audience  with  the  Kaiser  at  Rome', 
70,  71;  reception  to  the  Kaiser, 
71;  a  picturesque  spectacle  at 
Venice,  72;  induces  Italian  gov 
ernment  to  exhibit  at  St.  Louis, 
72,  73;  on  the  murder  of  Kin? 
and  Queen  of  Servia,  73;  again  at 
Kiel  yacht  races,  74,  75;  talk  with 
Kaiser  on  Mediterranean  situa- 
on,  75;  again  visits  America  in 
summer  of  1903,  76;  complimented 
by  Roosevelt,  76;  hunting  at  San 
Rossore,  76-79;  talk  with  Tittoni 
on  recognition  of  the  new  Repub 
lic  of  Panama,  79;  has  a  fall  while 
-hunting,  80;  W.  J.  Bryan  at  Rome, 
80,  81;  first  rumblings  of  Russo- 
Japanese  war,  81;  talks  with  the 
King  thereon,  82;  opening  of 
American  Academy,  82,  83;  on 
the  break  between  Russia  and 
Japan,  83;  finds  Italian  sympathy 
with  Japan,  83;  on  the  attack  on 
Port  Arthur,  84;  talks  with  Kaiser 
at  Berlin  about  the  Russo-Japa 
nese  war,  84,  86;  two  Court  balls, 
84,  85,  86;  on  the  U.  S.  as  medi 
ator  between  Turkey  and  Mace 
donia,  87;  Hsu  Keoh,  and  the 


INDEX 


535 


neutrality  of  China,  87;  dines 
with  Kaiser  on  Hohenzollern  at 
Naples,  88;  at  Monte  Casino  Mon 
astery,  88,  89;  audience  with  the 
King  on  Panama  Canal,  etc.,  89; 
on  President  Loubet,  89,  90;  audi 
ence  with  the  King,  on  Russo- 
Japanese  war,  etc.,  90;  in  the  U. 
S.  in  1904  for  Republican  National 
Convention,  91  ff.;  and  the  oppo 
sition  to  Cortelyou  as  Chairman 
of  National  Committee,  92,  93; 
dines  and  lunches  at  the  White 
House,  94,  95;  Roosevelt  proposes 
to  take  him  into  his  Cabinet,  or 
give  him  another  Ambassadorship, 
95,  100,  101;  at  25th  anniversary 
of  Class  of  1879,  95,  96;  on  the 
birth  of  Prince  Alexis,  Tsarevich, 
and  the  Prince  of  Piedmont,  100; 
rumours  as  to  his  transference  to 
Paris  or  Berlin,  101;  visits  Aosta 
at  Turin,  101-104;  on  Socialist 
activities  in  Rome,  104;  on  the 
Dogger  Bank  incident,  104,  105; 
congratulates  Roosevelt,  105;  on 
the  election  of  a  Democratic  Gov 
ernor  in  Mass.,  105;  on  Italian 
elections  of  1904,  106;  opening  of 
Italian  Parliament,  107;  on  the 
King's  speech,  107;  audience  with 
the  King,  107;  celebration  of  the 
Immaculate  Conception  at  St. 
Peter's,  107,  108;  his  rumoured 
appointment  to  Paris,  108,  109; 
Roosevelt  oifers  him  Ambassador 
ship  to  Russia,  110,  111,  which 
he  accepts,  112;  on  change  of  feel 
ing  toward  Japan,  112,  113;  on  the 
integrity  of  China  and  the  Open 
Door,  113;  on  prestige  of  U.  S. 
government  as  to  China,  113;  urges 
upon  Roosevelt  the  need  of  a  spe 
cial  Americon  courier,  114,  122; 
on  the  diplomatist  who  leaves  his 
post  in  fear  of  revolution,  115;  on 
the  aspect  of  affairs  in  Russia  as 
seen  from  Rome,  116,  117;  the 
Tsar's  lost  opportunity,  116,  117; 
on  the  appointment  of  Gen,  Tre"- 
poff  as  Governor-Gen,  of  St. 
Petersburg,  117;  on  France's  posi 
tion  with  respect  to  Russia,  117, 
118;  resigns  as  Ambassador  to 


Italy,  118;  on  the  King's  popu 
larity,  119;  on  the  increasing 
strength  of  public  sentiment  in 
Russia,  120,  121;  on  the  Russian 
loan,  121,  122;  talk  with  the  King 
on  divers  subjects,  122;  on  the 
murder  of  Grand  Duke  Serge,  123; 
conversation  with  Sir  E.  Egerton, 
reported  to  Roosevelt,  124,  125; 
visit  to  Berlin,  125^.;  interview 
with  Kaiser  as  to  Russia,  and  as 
to  possible  cooperation  of  Ger 
many  and  U.  S.  in  the  Far  East, 
126,  127;  on  the  feeling  between 
Great  Britain  and  Germany 
(Kaiser),  127;  on  French  criticism 
of  Russian  administration,  127, 
128;  appointed  Ambassador  to 
Russia,  and  confirmed,  128,  129; 
attends  Court  ball  and  talks  with 
the  King,  128,  129;  his  anticipa 
tions  as  to  his  reception  at  St. 
Petersburg,  130;  regrets  lack  of 
special  courier,  130;  secures  spe 
cial  courier,  130  n.;  interview  with 
Chinese  minister  on  sincerity  of 
U.  S.,  131;  dinner  given  to  him 
in  Rome,  131,  132;  list  of  hosts, 
131;  farewell  audience  with  Queen 
Mother,  133;  on  talk  of  peace,  133, 
134;  farewell  audience  with  the 
King,  134;  on  the  advance  in  pros 
perity  in  Italy  since  1901,  134; 
on  the  playing  of  baccarat  at  the 
Clubs,  134;  farewell  dinner  by 
King  and  Queen,  134,  135;  audi 
ence  with  the  Pope  ,(Pius  X), 
135;  farewell  audience  with 
Duchess  of  Aosta,  135,  136;  leaves 
Rome,  136;  on  the  friends  he  had 
made  in  Italy,  136. 

IV.  Ambassador  to  Russia. — 
Characteristics  of  his  diaries  and 
letters  during  his  stay  in  Russia, 
138,  139;  interview  with  Delcasse" 
in  Paris,  139;  arrival  in  Russia, 
139;  on  Russian  costumes  and 
sleeping-cars,  139;  first  days  in 
St.  Petersburg,  140^.;  on  Lams- 
dorff,  141 ;  audience  with  Tsar  and 
Tsarina  at  Tsarskoe  Sel6,  141  f., 
145;  his  impression  of  them,  141, 
142,  145;  on  the  prospects  of 
peace  in  the  East,  144;  on  condi- 


536 


INDEX 


tions  in  Russia,  144,  145,  149, 
154  f.,  173,  174;  176,  178,  190,  229, 
231,  232,  233,  234,  236,  237,  238, 
239,  240,  242,  251,  256,  257,  296, 
297,  302,  309,  316  ff.,  329;  on  his 
welcome,  144,  146;  on  the  Tsar's 
reception  of  Roosevelt  offer  of 
good  offices,  145,  146;  on  the 
Tsarina's  influence,  145,  146;  so 
cial  amenities,  146,  147;  shooting 
capercailzie,  147-149,  150;  on  the 
Tsar's  concession  of  religious  free 
dom,  149;  on  lack  of  system  and 
preparation,  150;  on  the  visit  of 
Schwab  and  Flint  to  St.  Peters 
burg,  150,  151;  on  the  destruction 
of  the  Russian  fleet,  151,  152,  153; 
on  Rosen  and  Cassini,  153;  on 
corruption  in  Russian  govern 
ment,  154,  155;  on  Pobedonost- 
zeff's  influence,  155;  on  the  dis 
criminating  duties  (Russian),  155, 
156,  190,  193,  194,  195,  196,  201, 
202;  on  the  Tsar's  procrastination, 
156;  obtains  immediate  audience 
with  Tsar  to  present  Roosevelt's 
invitation  to  arrange  meeting  of 
plenipotentiaries,  157,  158;  details 
of  the  audience  at  Tsarskoe  Sel6, 
158-161;  obtains  the  Tsar's  assent, 
161;  diary  entries,  showing  prog 
ress  of  events  and  negotiations, 
163  f.;  Cassini  thinks  he  has  mis 
interpreted  the  Tsar,  164;  con 
gratulated  by  Kaiser,  164;  should 
the  conference  be  held  at  Wash 
ington  or  The  Hague?,  166,  167, 
168,  169;  straightforwardness  con 
trary  to  the  habit  of  the  bureau 
cracy,  167,  168;  on  Nelidow  as  a 
possible  plenipotentiary,  169,  170; 
on  his  wedding  day,  171;  on  the 
mutinies  at  Odessa  and  Libau, 
171,  172,  176,  177;  on  John  Hay's 
death  and  character,  172,  173;  on 
the  prevarications,  etc.,  of  the 
Russian  Foreign  Office,  173,  174; 
on  the  suggestion  of  an  armistice, 
175;  on  Mouravieff,  175,  176,  182, 
183;  on  Lamsdorff,  178;  on  Lams- 
dorff's  communique,  180;  on  the 
Tsar's  promise  of  reforms,  178; 
on  the  Sakhaline  question,  179, 
181,  199,  200,  202,  203,  204,  206; 


appointment  of  Witte  as  first 
plenipotentiary,  180 ;  impression  of 
Witte,  181;  effect  in  Russia  of 
Witte's  appointment,  182,  184; 
conversation  with  Witte,  182;  on 
the  insurance  scandals  in  U.  S., 
183,  265;  Hay's  opinion  of  his 
work  in  Russia,  184;  on  the  con 
dition  of  the  Russian  fleet,  184; 
on  the  conference  between  Tsar 
and  Kaiser  at  Bjorke,  185  and  n., 
186,  188,  191;  on  the  reasons  for 
peace,  186;  on  the  separation  of 
Norway  and  Sweden,  186,  195;  on 
the  Moscow  Congress,  187;  on  the 
war  party  in  Russia,  189,  190;  on 
proposed  commercial  agreement 
between  Russia  and  U.  S.,  190;  on 
Witte's  reception  in  America, 
192,  193,  196,  202;  the  Tsar's  de 
cision  to  grant  a  national  assem 
bly,  192,  193;  on  the  prospects 
of  peace,  194;  on  the  significance 
of  the  grant  of  a  national  assem 
bly,  195,  and  its  reception  in  St. 
Petersburg,  196;  his  face-to-face 
dealings  with  the  Tsar,  on  the  con 
clusion  of  peace  at  Portsmouth, 
196/7*.;  his  part  in  the  matter, 
an  indispensable  element  in  its 
success,  197;  his  suspicions  of 
bureaucratic  methods,  198;  audi 
ence  with  the  Tsar  (August  23, 
1905),  198-201;  on  the  Tsar's  pri 
vate  correspondence  with  the 
Kaiser,  199,  202,  203,  212,  253;  on 
feeling  in  Russia  as  to  payment  of 
indemnity,  201,  204;  financial 
question,  chief  obstacle  to  peace, 
204,  205,  206;  on  the  conclusion 
of  peace,  205;  on  Russian  ingrati 
tude,  206;  on  the  terms  of  peace, 
and  his  share  in  obtaining  them, 
206,  207;  feeling  in  Russia  as  to 
peace,  208,  210;  complimented  by- 
Stead  for  his  part  in  negotiations, 
209;  on  Robert  Bacon,  210;  his 
work  in  caring  for  Japanese  pris 
oners  of  war,  211;  interviews  with 
Kaiser  at  Homburg,  211-218  com 
plimented  by  Kaiser,  212,  213,  and 
his  wife,  214;  on  Delcass6,  216, 
217;  on  the  jealousy  between 
Kaiser  and  Edward  VII,  217, 


INDEX 


537 


218;  on  the  Kaiser's  grasp  of 
world-affairs,  218,  219;  reports  to 
Roosevelt,  219,  220,  who  wishes  to 
have  him  in  his  Cabinet,  220;  was 
he  qualified  to  be  Sec'y  of  the 
Treasury?,  220;  on  methods  of 
improving  efficiency  of  U.  S. 
diplomatic  corps,  220,  221;  marks 
of  appreciation  of  his  work  in 
Russia,  221;  urged  by  Roosevelt 
to  return  at  once  to  Russia,  221, 
222;  walking  with  Roosevelt,  222; 
returns  to  Russia,  223  f.;  inter 
view  with  Lansdowne,  223,  224; 
interview  with  Rouvier,  224; 
Grand  Duchess  Vladimir  in  Paris, 
225;  interview  with  von  Billow, 
226-228;  on  the  needs  of  Russia, 
227;  dines  with  Kaiser  at  Pots 
dam,  228-230;  on  Germany  and 
Great  Britain,  229,  230;  on  the 
commercial  treaty  between  Russia 
and  U.  S.,  229;  on  the  aims  of 
the  Socialist  and  Labor  Unions 
in  Russia,  231,  233,  234,  235,  237, 
238;  on  the  financial  situation  of 
the  government,  231,  232;  on 
Witte's  good  qualities  and  de 
fects,  232;  on  the  resemblance  be 
tween  events  in  France  in  1789 
and  those  in  Russia  in  1905,  233, 
234;  on  the  persistence  of  faith 
in  the  Tsar,  234;  on  army  and 
navy  troubles,  234;  Tsar's  manner 
of  life  at  Tsarskoe  Sel6,  235,  241; 
shooting  at  Tosno,  235;  Russia 
"an  extraordinary  country,"  236; 
the  "  hooligan  stories,"  237 ;  on  the 
participation  of  Jews  in  revolu 
tionary  outbreaks,  239;  on  the 
Duma  as  a  universal  panacea,  240 ; 
on  the  Tsar's  autocratic  power, 
240;  on  the  preliminaries  of  the 
Algeciras  Conference,  243,  244;  at 
reception  of  Diplomatic  Corps  at 
Tsarskoe  Sel6,  244-246,  247;  con 
versation  with  Tsar,  244,  and 
Tsarina,  245;  impression  of  the 
latter,  245 ;  Tsarina  and  Tsarevich, 
245;  on  probable  demands  of 
Kaiser  at  Algeciras,  245,  246; 
bear-hunting,  248-251;  at  the 
Yukki  Club,  251,  252,  261,  325; 
audience  with  Grand  Duke  Con- 


stantine,  252,  253;  official  dinner 
at  Austrian  Embassy,  254,  255; 
on  Russia's  interest  in  outcome  of 
Algeciras,  255,  264,  265;  on  the 
ignorance  of  the  American  Am 
bassador,  255,  256;  on  the  pros 
pect  of  the  meeting  of  the  Duma, 
256;  on  Countess  Witte,  257,  258; 
on  diplomatic  service  of  the  U.  S., 
258;  on  Andrew  D.  White,  258, 
259;  on  the  American  Embassy  as 
a  "  palace,"  259 ;  attends  regular 
mass  at  Tsarskoe  Sel6,  259-261; 
on  France  and  Germany  at  Al 
geciras,  262,  263;  on  Roosevelt  as 
arbiter  if  Algeciras  Conference 
comes  to  a  deadlock,  264;  on  cam 
paign  funds  in  national  elections, 
265;  on  prospects  at  Algeciras, 
265,  266;  on  lack  of  interest  of 
workingmen  in  elections  for 
Duma,  266,  267;  victory  of  Ca 
dets  in  elections  in  St.  Petersburg, 
268;  close  of  Algeciras  Confer 
ence,  269;  his  Atlantic  article  on 
"  Our  Inelastic  Currency,"  270; 
attends  midnight  (Easter)  mass 
at  St.  Isaac's,  270,  271;  Easter  in 
St.  Petersburg,  271;  the  Duma  in 
the  palace  of  the  Tauride  Garden, 
273;  on  the  evil  influence  of  the 
Times  correspondent  at  St.  Peters 
burg,  274;  and  General  Trepoff, 
275;  uncertainty  as  to  action  of 
Duma,  277;  at  opening  of  Duma 
(May,  1906),  278-281;  impres 
sions  of  the  members,  279,  280, 
285;  on  the  Tsar's  address,  281, 
285;  on  the  aims  of  the  peasants, 
281;  can  a  conflict  between  Crown 
and  Duma  be  avoided?,  281;  the 
Cadets  and  the  Tsar,  281,  282, 
298;  at  first  session  of  Council 
of  Empire,  282;  a  great  awaken 
ing  in  Russia,  282;  amnesty  of 
political  prisoners,  283,  284,  287, 
288,  289;  on  the  control  of  the 
Duma  by  the  Cadets,  285,  286;  on 
the  address  in  reply  to  speech 
from  the  throne,  286,  287;  atti 
tude  of  Duma  makes  a  crisis 
likely,  287;  is  pessimistic  as  to 
the  future,  287,  288;  on  the  Duma 
and  the  denial  of  amnesty  and 


538 


INDEX 


expropriation,  288,  289;  entertains 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bryan,  289,  290, 
291;  impression  of  Iswolsky,  292; 
investigates  massacre  of  Jews  at 
Byalostok,  292-294,  296;  on  Ger 
many's  interest  in  checking  revo 
lution  in  Russia,  294,  295;  on  Rus 
sian  incapacity  as  seamen,  295; 
"slated"  for  Roosevelt's  Cabinet, 
296;  on  the  aim  of  the  peasants 
in  their  burning,  etc.,  296,  297; 
the  only  thing  impossible  in  Rus 
sia,  297;  on  lack  of  leaders,  297; 
on  the  circular  of  the  peasants' 
union,  297,  298;  salmon-fishing  at 
Imatra,  299;  the  Duma  dismissed, 
and  why,  300;  Cadets  and  the 
Duma,  300;  will  the  Tsar  decree 
equality  of  all  persons  before  the 
law?,  302;  improved  conditions, 
303;  on  passports  for  ambassa 
dors,  304;  takes  cure  at  Kissin- 
gen,  304-308;  Roosevelt  on  his 
work  in  Russia,  304,  305;  and 
Prince  Christian,  305,  306;  writes 
Roosevelt  on  entering  Cabinet, 
306;  on  the  attempt  to  murder 
Stolypin,  306;  on  the  character  of 
the  great  mass  of  Russians,  306, 
307;  on  the  blindness  of  the  revo 
lutionists,  307,  and  of  the  Tsar, 
308;  improved  conditions  in  St. 
Petersburg,  309;  visits  Grand 
Duke  Vladimir  at  Narva,  310,  311; 
hunting  at  Narva,  311-313;  the 
peasants'  dance,  312,  313;  visit  to 
Antoniny  (Volhynia),  313  f.; 
his  trip  to  Odessa,  315-319,  Se- 
bastopol,  319,  320,  and  Moscow, 
320,  321;  the  battlefield  of  Bala 
clava,  320;  the  Tsar's  palace  at 
Livadia,  320;  bomb-throwing  at  St. 
Petersburg,  322;  his  appointment 
to  the  Cabinet  as  Postmaster  Gen 
eral  announced,  322;  on  that  office 
as  compared  with  that  of  Sec'y 
of  Navy,  323;  scandal  in  the  (Rus 
sian)  Cabinet,  324;  hunting  with 
Prince  Youssoupoff,  325-327;  on 
Roosevelt's  "  Gouverneur  Morris," 
in  the  light  of  events  in  Russia, 
327,  328;  reception  to  Diplomatic 
Corps  at  Tsarskoe  Sel6,  328;  on 
the  change  in  the  Tsarina,  328, 


329;  his  last  days  in  St.  Peters 
burg,  329  ff.;  his  final  audience 
with  the  Tsar,  331,  332;  Tsar  re 
grets  his  departure,  332;  Tsar 
confers  Grand  Cordon  of  St. 
Alexander  Nevsky  on,  333;  final 
interview  with  Iswolsky,  333-335; 
leaves  Russia,  335;  presentation 
to,  with  list  of  donors,  335  and  n.; 
his  sensations  on  leaving,  336;  on 
his  way  home  has  interviews  with 
Kaiser,  338-341;  with  the  King 
of  Italy,  341-344,  with  Sir  Edward 
Grey,  344-346,  and  with  Edward 
VII,  348-350;  on  America's  policy 
not  to  form  alliances,  350;  returns 
to  U.  S.,  351. 

V.  Postmaster  General.  —  His 
new  duties  contrasted  with  those 
of  an  ambassador,  352;  his  earlier 
experience  good  preparation  for 
his  new  work,  353;  his  first  con 
ference  with  Roosevelt,  354;  takes 
over  the  Department,  354;  his  first 
Cabinet  meeting,  354;  his  resi 
dences  in  Washington,  354;  Taft 
quoted  on  his  chief  characteristic 
as  an  administrator,  355;  suggests 
change  in  title  of  office,  355;  371, 
372  and  n.;  receives  Order  of  the 
Rising  Sun  from  the  Mikado,  and 
the  Grand  Cordon  of  SS.  Mau- 
rizio  e  Lazzaro  from  the  King  of 
Italy,  356;  his  constant  regard  to 
physical  fitness,  357;  and  Roose 
velt's  "stunts,"  357,  376,  381,  384; 
induces  Roosevelt  to  promise  not 
to  commit  himself  against  pos 
sible  return  to  presidency  after 
interregnum,  358;  entertains  Duke 
of  the  Abruzzi,  358-362;  confer 
ences  at  Oyster  Bay  as  to  prepa 
rations  in  case  of  war  with  Japan, 
362,  363,  365,  366;  encouraging 
words  from  Roosevelt,  363;  Taft's 
nomination  in  1908  being  pre 
pared  for  in  1907,  365;  his  pro 
gramme  of  improvement  in  postal 
matters,  366,  367;  his  most  im 
portant  achievement,  the  estab 
lishment  of  postal  savings-banks, 
368;  his  work  to  that  end,  368, 
369;  his  methods  of  daily  work  in 
the  Dep't,  369;  his  treatment  of 


INDEX 


539 


his  subordinates,  369,  370;  on  the 
political  situation  in  autumn  of 
1907,  373;  on  Hughes  and  Cortel- 
you  as  candidates,  and  the  pos 
sible  demand  for  Roosevelt,  373; 
rumours  of  his  appointment  to 
German  Ambassadorship,  374, 
386;  discussion  of  Roosevelt's  let 
ter  to  Cortelyou  on  methods  of 
relieving  financial  situation,  375, 
376;  on  Cannon's  opposition  to 
postal  savings-banks,  376;  possi 
bility  of  war  with  Japan,  377; 
his  order  relating  to  letters  ad 
dressed  to  Santa  Claus,  378,  379; 
advises  Roosevelt  to  issue  state 
ment  announcing  that  he  is  not  a 
candidate  for  renomination,  379, 
380;  discouraging  business  outlook 
in  Dec.,  1907,  380;  talk  with 
Roosevelt  Cabinet  candidates  for 
nomination,  381;  on  political  con 
ditions  in  N.  Y.,  and  the  possibil 
ity  of  a  bolt  to  Roosevelt,  385; 
on  keeping  anarchistic  papers 
from  the  mails,  385,  386;  works 
up  sentiment  in  favor  of  his  re 
forms  in  the  Dep't,  386,  387; 
chairman  of  Republican  State 
Convention  in  Mass.,  387,  388;  en 
dorsed  by  the  platform  of  the 
Convention,  388;  on  Taft's  pro 
posed  trip  to  Panama,  389;  on 
diplomatic  uniforms,  389,  390;  on 
Cannon's  influence  on  Congres 
sional  lukewarmness  toward  ad 
ministration,  390;  announces  adop 
tion  of  2-cent  letter  postage  to 
Great  Britain,  391,  392;  rumours 
that  he  is  to  "run"  Taft's  cam 
paign,  392,  393,  399;  his  objec 
tions,  393,  394;  going  over  the 
Republican  platform,  394;  writes 
Mrs.  Meyer  (1908)  on  experi 
ments  with  torpedoes,  395,  396; 
signs  parcel-post  convention  with 
Italy,  397;  obtains  endorsement 
of  postal  savings-banks  by  Re 
publican  Convention,  397;  on 
Taft's  nomination,  398;  on  his 
50th  birthday,  398;  urges  Taft  to 
take  exercise  as  a  counter-irritant, 
399;  advises  Roosevelt  as  to  au 
diences  with  King  of  Italy  and 


Pope,  401,  411;  consulted  as  to 
correspondence  with  Bryan  and 
Gov.  Haskell,  403,  404,  405,  406; 
letter  of  J.  Henniker  Heaton  on 
2-cent  postage,  407;  its  establish 
ment  an  event  of  outstanding  sig 
nificance,  408;  instructions  to 
postmasters  to  consult  authorities 
as  to  teaching  elementary  postal 
matters,  408,  409;  forecast  of  the 
election  (1908),  410;  makes 
speeches  in  campaign,  412;  and 
the  Secretaryship  of  the  Treasury, 
412;  his  second  annual  report, 
413;  recommends  putting  4th 
class  postmasters  in  certain  states 
on  civil-service  list,  413;  chosen 
by  Taft  for  Sec'y  of  Navy,  413, 
414,  418;  gives  dinner  to  Count 
and  Countess  Bernstorff,  415; 
"both  very  attractive,"  415;  ad 
dress  at  Bankers'  Dinner,  416; 
parcel  post  on  rural  routes,  418; 
asked  by  Taft  to  make  Winthrop 
Ass't  Sec'y,  418;  his  relations  with 
Fore  River  Engine  Co.,  419;  on 
Roosevelt's  achievement  as  Presi 
dent,  419;  the  "Tennis  Cabinet" 
entertained  by  Roosevelt  and  by 
Mrs.  Garfield,  420;  Roosevelt's 
final  Cabinet  meeting,  420,  421; 
general  result  of  the  two  years 
in  the  P.  O.  Dep't,  421. 

VI.  Secretary  of  the  Navy. — 
Nature  of  his  task,  422,  423; 
learning  the  job,  424;  Taft's 
inauguration,  425,  426;  his  im 
pression  of  Wickersham,  427; 
troubles  in  Central  America,  427, 
428,  429;  visit  to  Roosevelt,  428, 
429;  his  speech  at  Harvard  Club 
dinner  to  Pres.  Eliot,  430,  431; 
reorganization  of  navy  yards, 
Newberry's  plan  and  Meyer's, 
432,  434,  438,  453,  454,  463,  468, 
469;  his  plan  for  withdrawing  re 
tired  officers  from  active  service, 
434;  consulted  by  Taft  as  to  in 
come  tax  on  corporations,  434, 
435;  at  Harvard  Commencement, 
1909,  435,  436;  plan  for  board  of 
military  experts,  etc.,  436;  unim 
pressed  by  tariff  debate  in  Senate, 
436,  437;  writes  Roosevelt  on  his 


540 


INDEX 


work  in  the  Dep't,  437,  438;  on 
Taft's  corporation  tax  proposal, 
438;  on  the  naval  estimates  for 
1911,  439,  441;  discussion  with 
Senator  Hale,  439;  on  the  Wrights' 
experiments  in  aviation,  440,  444; 
Cabinet  discussion  on  tariff  and 
free  list,  442;  tells  Taft  the  peo 
ple  are  with  him  in  his  tariff 
policy,  443;  Taft  and  the  Confer 
ence  Committe  on  the  Tariff  bill, 
443,  444;  sides  with  Ballinger 
against  Pinchot  in  their  contro 
versy,  445;  close  of  the  diary,  445, 
446;  "Salient  Points"  in  his  ad 
ministration  of  the  Navy  Dep't, 
446-450;  Taft's  laudatory  com 
ment  thereon,  450,  451;  his  state 
ment  of  principles  for  changes  in 
administration  of  the  Dep't,  451; 
opposition  to  his  changes,  espe 
cially  after  Democratic  victory  in 
the  House  in  1910,  452;  his  first 
Annual  Report,  quoted,  on  the 
Secretary's  need  of  advice  from 
experts,  452,  453;  the  Swift  Board, 
453,  467;  lessons  of  the  Russo- 
Japanese  War,  454;  change  in 
method  of  cost-accounting,  454, 
455;  divides  work  of  Navy  into 
four  essential  parts,  456;  468, 
469;  creates  "something  like  a 
General  Staff  for  the  Navy,"  456", 
457 ;  Engineering  Magazine  quoted, 
on  his  organization  of  the  Dep't, 
457;  competent  naval  opinion  that 
it  was  an  agency  of  supreme  value 
in  the  world-war,  458;  Admiral 
Sims,  quoted,  on  his  administra 
tion,  458,  459;  Admiral  Sims 
reprimanded,  through  him,  458  n.; 
his  pleasant  association  with  naval 
officers,  459  f.;  and  Admiral 
Leutze,  460,  461;  proposed  aboli 
tion  of  Pensacola  and  New  Or 
leans  Navy  Yard,-  463,  464;  on 
Cook  and  Peary,  464,  465;  on  gov 
ernment  jurisdiction  over  rail 
roads,  464,  465;  on  Roosevelt's 
African  trip,  465 ;  fighting  for  two 
battleships,  466;  470;  fight  over  re 
organization,  466  /P.;  leading  oppo 
nents  of  his  plan,  469;  his  interest 


in  his  work,  470;  Japan  asks  per 
mission  to  study  system  of  cost-ac 
counting,  470;  plan  of  reorganiza 
tion  approved  by  Sir  A.  Wilson, 
470;  postal  savings-bank  bill 
passed  by  Senate,  470;  his  visit 
of  inspection  to  both  coasts  and 
to  Cuba,  471-481;  at  Bremerton 
Navy  Yard,  471,  472;  on  the  ap 
prehension  on  Pacific  coast  of  at 
tack  by  Japan,  472;  on  the  canvass 
for  U.  S.  Senator  in  California, 
473;  movement  to  demand  battle 
ship  fleet  on  Pacific  coast,  473, 
474;  his  answer,  474;  at  Mare 
Island  Navy  Yard,  474;  Goat 
Island  and  Hunters'  Point,  475; 
at  Los  Angeles,  475,  476;  San 
Diego,  476,  477;  Havana,  478,  479; 
Santiago,  480,  481;  Guantanamo, 
481 ;  visits  England  for  naval  pur 
poses,  481^.;  his  report,  482;  on 
Taft's  strength  with  the  people, 
482;  on  the  relations  between  rail 
roads  and  the  services  in  Ger 
many,  482;  could  the  same  idea  be 
acted  upon  in  U.  S.?,  482,  483; 
on  J.  P.  Morgan's  collection,  484; 
meets  Lords  of  the  Admiralty, 
484;  hears  debate  on  Parliament 
bill  in  Lords,  485;  difficulty  of  his 
position  in  the  Roosevelt-Taft  con 
troversy  in  1912,  487;  is  opposed 
to  Roosevelt's  candidacy,  but  of 
fers  to  resign  and  support  him, 
if  he  desires  to  run,  487;  eventu 
ally  supports  Taft,  487;  on  Taft's 
letter  of  acceptance,  488;  on 
Taft's  title  to  the  nomination, 
488;  how  he  survived  the  disaster, 
489;  various  opinions  of  his  ad 
ministration — Bishop  Lawrence 
and  Admiral  Wainwright — 490, 
491;  receives  a  parting  gift  from 
naval  officers,  491,  492. 

VII.  The  Final  Years.— A  typi 
cal  figure  of  his  period,  494;  re 
sumes  business  and  social  activi- 
tites,  494,  495;  his  final  meeting 
with  the  Kaiser  on  the  Hohen- 
zollern  in  1913,  495-502;  "the 
American  von  Tirpitz,"  496  and 
n.;  on  the  signs  of  prosperity  in 


INDEX 


541 


Germany,  497;  on  the  "so-called 
Jeffersonian  simplicity  of  the 
Democratic  party,"  498;  on  the 
feeling  between  Germany  and 
Great  Britaian,  498,  499,  500;  is 
shown  the  Kaiser's  maps  of  the 
Balkan  War,  502;  conversation 
with  von  Falkenhayn  and  von 
Moltke,  on  possible  intervention 
of  U.  S.  in  Mexico  and  on  the 
Panama  Canal,  503;  did  the 
Kaiser  visit  Paris  incog.?,  503; 
experiences  in  Germany  in  July, 
1914,  as  related  by  Mrs.  Meyer, 
504-510;  his  call  upon  von  Jagow, 
504,  and  its  fortunate  sequel,  509; 
he  and  Mrs.  Meyer  finally  reach 
Holland,  510;  his  letter  to  Bryan 
on  the  probable  role  to  be  played 
by  the  U.  S.,  and  offering  his  serv 
ices,  510,  511;  approves  Wilson's 
policy  of  strict  neutrality,  511; 
otherwise  wholly  out  of  sympathy 
with  the  administration,  511;  cen 
sures  lack  of  "  preparedness,"  and 
favours  enlarged  programme  of 
national  defense,  511;  especially 
concerned  about  the  Navy,  512;  his 
appeals  to  the  public  in  periodi 
cals,  512;  promotes  National 
Security  League,  etc.,  512;  pleads 
for  necessity  of  preparing  young 
men  for  the  Navy  as  well  as  for 
the  Army,  513;  favours  nomina 
tion  of  Roosevelt  in  1916,  and 
works  to  that  end,  513,  514,  515; 
favours  unpledged  delegation  from 
Mass.,  514;  accepts  leadership  in 
movement  to  spring  Roosevelt's 
candidacy  in  case  of  Hughes' 
declination,  515;  carries  the  fight 
to  Chicago,  515;  his  part  in  the 
undertaking  characterized,  515; 
supplies  Hughes  with  campaign 
material  relating  to  the  Navy,  516; 
defeat  of  Hughes  a  bitter  disap 
pointment,  516;  his  last  appear 
ance  in  public,  517;  his  domestic 
life  singularly  happy,  517;  mar 
riages  of  his  children,  517,  518; 
his  last  illness  and  death,  518,  519; 
Roosevelt's  tribute,  519. 

Letters— to  W.  J.   Bryan,  510; 


Josephus  Daniels,  490;  Mr.  C.  A. 
Goss,  489;  H.  C.  Lodge,  119,  127, 
129,  231,  255,  277;  F.  C.  Lowell, 
258;  Alice  Meyer,  259;  Julia 
Meyer,  254;  Mrs.  Meyer,  147,  202, 
206,  233,  235,  244,  248,  310,  315, 
325,  327,  328,  329,  395,  477,  484; 
William  H.  Taft,  464,  473,  482, 
488;  Theodore  Roosevelt,  111,  116, 
121,  124,  125,  145,  149,  154,  157, 
167,  173,  178,  181,  187,  192,  197, 
203,  209,  233,  246,  263,  285,  306, 
371,  437,  462,  465;  Elihu  Root,  238; 
Erving  Winslow,  511. 

Meyer,  George  von  L.,  Jr.  ("  Bey"), 
M.'s  son,  in  service  during  the 
war,  517;  marries  Miss  Saltonstall, 
517;  13,  21,  22,  67,  135,  187,  299, 
363,  396,  472. 

Meyer,  Mrs.  Grace  Helen  (Parker), 
M.'s  mother,  4,  13. 

Meyer,  Heinrich  E.  L.,  M.'s  great 
grandfather,  4. 

Meyer,  Heloise,  M.'s  sister,  30,  32, 
53,  69. 

Meyer,  Mrs.  Johanna  C.  (von 
Lengerke),  M.'s  grandmother,  3, 

4*« 

Meyer,  Julia,  marries  Giuseppe 
Brambilla,  518;  13,  51,  76,  77,  78, 
98,  129,  135,  151,  152,  221,  222,  261, 
277,  288,  295,  300,  301,  359,  388, 
417,  426,  437,  472,  497.  Letter  of 
M.  to,  254.  And  see  Brambilla, 
Julia  (Meyer). 

Meyer,  Marian  Alice  (Appleton), 
M.'s  wife,  letter  of,  on  the  royal 
ball  at  Berlin,  85  n;  letter  of, 
to  M.,  97-100;  on  events  of 
July,  1914,  in  Germany,  504- 
510;  letter  of  Roosevelt  to,  on 
M.'s  death,  519;  12,  13,  31,  32,  44, 
45,  46,  47,  48,  49,  53,  55,  60,  62, 
67,  68,  69,  71,  72,  76,  77,  78,  82, 
83,  84,  85,  88,  96,  100,  129,  132, 
133,  134,  135,  136,  151,  152,  173, 
187,  218,  261,  267,  277,  283,  288, 
295,  296,  332,  341,  359,  383,  398, 
417,  420,  421,  424,  426,  428,  437, 
470,  497,  504,  517.  Letters  of  M. 
to,  147,  202,  206,  235,  237,  244, 
248,  310,  325,  327,  328,  329,  392, 
395,  398,  471,  477,  484,  486,  516. 


542 


INDEX 


Meyer,  Thomas,  letter  of  M.  to,  140. 

Meyer  Gate,  The    (Harvard),  7. 

Michel,  Grand  Duke,  61,  142,  143, 
152,  187,  212,  213,  272,  335. 

Michel  Alexander,  Grand  Duke,  185. 

Mikado,  of  Japan,  confers  decora 
tion  on  M.,  356;  154. 

Miles,  Basil,  273  and  n.,  303. 

Minghetti,    Donna    Laura,   226. 

Mirabeau,  Gabriel  H.  R.,  Comte  de, 
234. 

Mistchisky  estate,  297. 

Mitchell,  John,  272. 

Modern  Decorative  Art,  Interna 
tional  Exposition  of,  at  Turin,  53, 
54. 

Mohammed  Ali,  Shah  of  Persia, 
visits  Rome,  55-57;  his  character, 
57. 

Moltke,  Count  Bernhard  von  (the 
Great  von  M.),  503. 

Moltke,  Count  von,  nephew  of  Count 
Bernhard,  123,  497,  500,  501,  502. 

Monaco,  Prince  of,  61. 

Monroe  Doctrine,  no  stronger  than 
the  Navy,  451;  371. 

Monte  Casino  Monastery,  88,  89. 

Montebello,   Duke   of,  148. 

Montenegro,  Victor  Emmanuel  III 
on  affairs  of,  343. 

Monteondi,    Signer,   80. 

Montichiari,  Dr.,  81. 

Monts,  Count  of,  70. 

Moody,  William  H.,  appointed 
Sec'y  of  Navy,  27,  and  Justice  of 
Supreme  Court,  324;  51,  95,  220, 
323. 

Moody  Commission  (Navy),  467. 

Moran,  John  B.,  258   and  n. 

Morgan,  Edward  M.,  366. 

Morgan,  J.  Pierpont,  his  collection 
in  London,  484;  63. 

Morgan,  Miss,  62. 

Morin,  Admiral,  69,  73. 

Morocco,  dispute  between  Germany 
and  France  over,  216,  217.  And 
see  Algeciras  Conference. 

Morris,  Gouverneur,  327,  328. 

Morton,   Paul,  94. 

Moscow,  disturbances  in,  210,  236, 
237,  238;  their  object,  238,  239; 
conditions  becoming  normal,  242; 
revolutionary  plot  discovered  at, 
252;  Maurice  Baring  on  affairs 


in,  266,  267;  elections  for  Duma 
in,  266,  267;  M.'s  visit  to,  320, 
321. 

Moscow  Congress,  187. 

Motono,  Mr.,  arrival  in  St.  Peters 
burg,  266;  dinner  given  by  Lams- 
dorff  to,  267. 

Mott,  Captain,  189. 

Mount    Stephen,   Lord,   4. 

Mount  Vernon,  visit  to,  358,  359. 

Mouravieff,  M.,  172,  179,  180,  181, 
182,  183. 

Mowbray,   H.    Siddons,   82,  83. 

Mowbray,  Walter,  91. 

Mugwump  sentiment  in  Boston,  19. 

Muller,  Admiral,  496,  497. 

Munsey,  Frank  A.,  488. 

Muromtseff,  M.,  candidate  of  Ca 
dets  for  President  of  Duma,  277; 
President-elect,  and  the  Tsar,  283; 
choice  of,  a  happy  omen,  286. 

Murphy,  Franklin,  92. 

Myopia   Hunt   Club,   13,   14,   15. 

Nagel,  Charles,  429. 

Napier,    Henry    D.,   323. 

Napier,  Mrs.  H.  D.,  323. 

Naples,  M.'s  arrival  at,  32;  M. 
poisoned  by  eating  fish  at,  32; 
M.  dines  with  Kaiser  at,  88. 

Napoleon  I,  340. 

Narva,  hunting  at,  311-313. 

Nasha  Jizn,  quoted,  154. 

National  Allied  Relief  Committee, 
512. 

National  Assembly  (Russia).  See 
Duma. 

National  Marine  Engineers'  Asso 
ciation,  470. 

National  Security  League,  512. 

Navy  of  the  U.  S.,  report  of  Gen 
eral  Staff  as  to  disposition  of,  in 
case  of  war  with  Japan,  362;  de 
sertions  from,  417;  much  respected 
in  South  America,  427;  relations 
of  officers  of,  with  M.,  461 ;  gift  of 
officers  of,  to  M.  on  his  retire 
ment  from  the  Dep't,  491,  492. 

Navy  Department  of  the  U.  S.,  fre 
quent  changes  in  head  of,  during 
Roosevelt's  administration,  422 ; 
conditions  in  when  M.  became 
Secretary,  423;  problems  of,  com 
pared  with  those  of  P.  O.  Dep't, 


INDEX 


543 


423;  estimates  for,  in  1911,  439, 
440,  441;  "Salient  Points"  in  M.'s 
administration  of,  446-450,  and 
Taft's  comment  thereon,  450,  451; 
M.'s  statement  of  the  general  prin 
ciples  which  his  changes  were  de 
signed  to  embody,  451;  opposition 
to  M.'s  changes,  452^.;  general 
naval  policy  under  M.'s  adminis 
tration,  455;  system  in  vogue  in, 
during  Civil  War,  and  Spanish 
War,  455;  work  of,  divided  into 
four  essential  parts,  456,  457,  468; 
general  result  of  M.'s  new  arrange 
ments,  457 ;  Engineering  Magazine, 
quoted,  on  M.'s  administration, 
457;  changes  in  organization  be 
tween  1913  and  1917,  458;  Ad 
miral  Sims  quoted,  on  M.'s  ad 
ministration,  458,  459;  M.'s  fight 
with  Naval  Committee  over  reor 
ganization,  466  jf.;  his  plan  ap 
proved  by  Sir  A.  Wilson,  470; 
Annual  Report  for  1911,  481,  482; 
various  opinions  of  M.'s  work  in, 
490,  491;  M.'s  criticisms  of  man 
agement  of,  in  the  late  war,  512, 
513.  And  see  Cost-accounting, 
Navy  yards. 

Navy  League,  512. 

Navy  yards,  consolidation  of,  432, 
433;  M.'s  plan  for  reorganization 
of,  4-34,  453  f.;  failure  of  New- 
berry's  policy  concerning,  438; 
Newberry's  policy  and  M.'s  com 
pared,  463. 

Nebogatoff,  Admiral,  184. 

Necker,  Jacques,  234. 

Negro,  the,  future  of,  391;  Roose 
velt  on,  391,  392;  in  Tennessee, 
and  colored  juries,  429. 

Nelidow,  M.  de,  47,  70,  76,  77,  169, 
170,  172,  268,  342. 

Nelidow,  Mme.  de,  49,  71. 

Nerod,    Count,    249. 

Neva,  blessing  of  the  waters  of,  ru 
mours  concerning  celebration  of, 
235. 

New  Willard  Hotel,  219. 

New  York  City,  Tsarina  on  high 
buildings  in,  232. 

New  York  Herald,  479. 

New  York  Shipbuilding  Co.,  469. 


New  York  State,  political  conditions 
in,  385;  "reactionists"  in,  385;  at 
titude  on  the  tariff,  443. 

New  York  Times,  512. 

Newberry,  Truman  H.,  his  policy 
concerning  work  in  navy  yards, 
438,  453,  454,  463,  468;  423,  432. 

Newport  News  Shipbuilding  Co., 
469. 

Nevada,  discrimination  against  Ja 
panese  in,  416. 

Niblack,  A.  P.,  U.  S.  N.,  496  n. 

Nicaragua,  and  San  Salvador,  427. 

Nicolas  II,  Tsar,  decorates  Ad 
miral  Rodjestvensky  for  Dogger 
Bank  affair,  104,  105;  and  the 
workingmen's  petition,  115,  116; 
his  lost  opportunity,  116,  117;  has 
no  fixed  policy,  124;  Queen  Mar- 
gherita  on,  133;  declines  Kaiser's 
good  offices,  134;  his  blindness, 
134;  M.'s  first  audience  with  and 
impression  of,  142,  145;  reaction 
aries  seem  to  have  his  ear,  144; 
M.  offers  good  offices  of  U.  S.  to, 
145,  146;  alleged  influence  of 
Tsarina  over,  145,  146,  349;  his 
ukase  granting  religious  freedom 
to  all  except  Jews,  149;  his  pro 
crastination,  153,  156;  influenced 
by  Pobodonostzeff  not  to  sign 
manifesto  announcing  speedy  con 
vocation  of  freely  elected  assem 
bly,  155;  M.  delivers  Roosevelt's 
message  to,  suggesting  that  Rus 
sia  and  Japan  meet  to  arrange 
terms  of  peace,  158,  159;  accepts, 
on  conditions,  160,  161;  his  mes 
sage  to  Roosevelt,  162;  and  the 
bureaucracy,  173,  174;  his  ad 
dress  to  Committee  of  14  emas 
culated  by  press,  174;  his  position 
considered,  174;  his  intentions  hon 
est  and  well-meant,  174;  appoints 
special  delegates  to  peace  confer 
ence,  176;  really  desires  peace, 
178;  promises  reforms,  but  is 
blocked  by  bureaucracy,  178;  his 
edict  concerning  the  Navy,  180, 
181;  interview  with  Kaiser  (1905), 
185  and  n.,  188,  191;  favours  re 
forms  and  a  national  assembly, 
187;  promises  more  land  to  the 


544 


INDEX 


peasants,  187;  signs  constitution, 
191;  decides  to  grant  national  as 
sembly,  192,  193;  declares  Japan 
trying  to  humiliate  Russia,  195; 
announces  plan  for  national  as 
sembly,  195;  M.'s  interview  with 
on  peace  terms,  197  ft.,  204,  206, 
207;  his  private  correspondence 
with  Kaiser,  199,  202,  203;  quoted, 
on  Japan's  claims,  200;  how  the 
Kaiser  prepared  his  mind  for 
peace,  212,  213;  Roosevelt's  mes 
sage  to,  223;  his  ukase  concerning 
division  of  crown  lands  and  the 
Socialists,  225 ;  his  attitude  toward 
affairs,  226;  fails  to  appreciate 
the  gravity  of  conditions,  229; 
continued  faith  of  people  in,  234; 
possibilities  of  his  autocratic 
power  in  strong  hands,  240,  241; 
receives  Diplomatic  Corps  at 
Tsarskoe  Sel6,  244-246,  247;  con 
versation  with  M.,  244,  245,  247; 
accepts  Witte's  resignation,  276; 
at  the  opening  of  the  Duma,  279- 
281;  his  address  from  the  throne, 
280,  281,  285;  and  President 
Muromtseff,  283;  and  the  question 
of  amnesty,  283;  refuses  to  re 
ceive  delegation  with  reply  to  ad 
dress  from  the  throne,  284;  dis 
solves  first  Duma,  and  summons 
second,  300;  reported  to  be  about 
to  decree  equality  of  all  persons 
before  the  law,  302;  M.'s  opinion 
of,  305;  suppose  the  peasants  lose 
their  faith  in  him?,  307;  fails  to 
realize  the  situation,  308;  and 
Grand  Duke  Paul,  308;  his  palace 
at  Livadia,  320;  receives  Diplo 
matic  Corps,  328;  M.'s  final  audi 
ence  with,  331,  332;  confers  deco 
ration  on  M.,  333;  Victor  Em 
manuel  Ill's  opinion  of,  342;  76, 
77,  86,  100,  120,  135,  138,  140,  143, 
151,  154,  163,  164,  166,  167,  168, 
169,  179,  182,  183,  186,  189,  190, 
196,  209,  216,  220,  232,  233,  235, 
239,  242,  243,  254,  260,  261,  262, 
263,  264,  269,  277,  282,  287,  292, 
297,  298,  324,  330,  333,  336,  338, 
339,  340,  389,  498. 
Nicolas,  Grand  Duke,  349. 


Nicolas  Michai'lovitch,  Grand  Duke, 
260. 

Nicolas  Nicolai'eVitch,  Grand  Duke, 
260,  269. 

Nicolson,  Sir  A.,  and  the  Byalostok 
massacres,  293,  294,  296;  M.  on, 
350;  289,  298,  299,  303,  309, 
500. 

Nicolson,  Lady,  289,  303,  309,  322. 

Nieroth,  Count,  271,  295,  335  n. 

Nieroth,  Countess,  295,  335  TO. 

Ninth  Ward  Republican  Committee, 
19. 

Nisard,  M.,  90. 

Nixon,   Lewis,  470. 

Noble,    George    W.    C.,   5. 

North  American  Review,  512. 

North  Pole,  discovery  of,  464, 
465. 

Norton,   Richard,  46,  64. 

Norway,  and  Sweden,  probable  dis 
solution  of  union  of,  186;  votes 
in  favor  of  separation,  195. 

Novoe  Vremya  (St.  Petersburg), 
charges  secret  alliance  between 
Japan  and  U.  S.,  183. 


Obolensky,  Prince,  267. 

O'Connell,  Monsignor  (now  Cardi 
nal),  40. 

O'Connor,  T.  P.,  486. 

Odell,    Benjamin   B.,   91. 

Odessa,  mutiny  at,  171,  173,  176, 
177,  178,  180;  Jews  in,  316;  con 
ditions  in,  316,  317,  318. 

Oetingen,  Princess,  337. 

Ohio,  in  election  of  1908,  410. 

Ohyama,  Mr.,  118. 

Old  Colony  Trust  Co.,  12. 

Olney,   Richard,  95. 

Open  Door,  policy  of  the,  109,  113, 
335. 

Orloff,  E.,  335  n. 

Orloff,  Prince  Ivan,  271,  335  n. 

Orloff,  Princess  Olga,  248,  275,  295, 
335  n. 

Orloff,  S.,  276,  335  n. 

Orloff-Davidoff,  Countess,  274,  275. 

Orloff  estates,  destroyed,  297. 

Osten-Sacken,  Count,  Kaiser's  talk 
with,  86. 

Otto,  Chasseur,  238,  248,  249,  250^ 


INDEX 


545 


Ouroussow,  Prince,  supersedes  Neli- 
dow  at  Rome,  77;  81,  118,  170. 

Outlook,  The,  Roosevelt  agrees  to 
write  for,  on  public  questions,  401. 
401. 

Pacific  Coast,  M.'s  visit  to,  471-477; 
demand  for  battleship  fleet,  473- 
474;  M.'s  answer  to  that  demand, 
474,  475. 

Paget,  Lord,  485. 

Palmer,  Leigh  C.,  U.  S.  N.,  408 
and  w. 

Panama,  Republic  of,  treaty  with, 
414;  79,  373. 

Panama  bonds,  proposed  issue  of,  to 
relieve  financial  situation,  375, 376. 

Panama  Canal,  and  Japan,  339;  to 
remain  a  lock  canal,  418;  and 
Guantanamo,  481;  89,  371,  503. 

Paravicini,  M.,  301. 

Parcel-post  system,  proposed  exten 
sion  of,  366,  375;  convention  with 
Italy  concerning,  397;  report  pro 
viding  for  trial  of,  on  R.  F.  D. 
routes,  418;  386,  393,  396. 

Paris,  Countess  of,   102,  103. 

Paris,  M.'s  visit  to  (1905),  224,  225; 
in  the  Reign  of  Terror  and  in 
1871,  327,  328;  did  the  Kaiser  go 
there  incog.?,  503;  von  Moltke  on 
the  siege  of  (1870-71),  503. 

Paris  Exposition  Managers  (Mass.), 
26. 

Parker,  Alton  B.,  105. 

Parker,  Samuel,  M.'s  maternal  great 
grandfather,  4,  5. 

Parker,  William,  M.'s  maternal 
grandfather,  4. 

Pasetti,  Baron,  47,  49,  66,  70,  81. 

Pasetti,  Baroness,  49  and  n. 

Paterson,  N.  J.,  meeting  of  an 
archists  at,  44;  transmission  of 
Socialist  publication  by  mail  pro 
hibited,  385,  .386. 

Patricia,  Princess,  of  Connaught, 
217. 

Paul,  Tsar,  277. 

Paul,   Grand  Duchess,  308,  309. 

Paul,  Grand  Duke,  308,  309. 

Pauncefote,  Sir  Julian   (Lord),  44. 

Pauncefote,  Lady,  44. 

Payne,  Henry  C.,  432. 


Payne,  Sereno   E.,  92. 
Payne-Aldrich  Tariif  Act.    See  Dis 
criminatory  duties,  Tariif  Act  of 

1909. 

Parker,  Sir  Gilbert,  486. 
Peabody,  Endicott,  382,  417. 
Peabody,  Mrs.  Endicott,  417. 
Peary,    Robert    E.,    and   Dr.    Cook, 

464,  465. 
Peasants,     Russian,     outbreaks     of, 

296;   expect   to    force  division   of 

land,    297;    mistaken    method    of 

governing   them,   297;   their    faith 

in  the  Tsar,  307. 
Peasants'  Union,  circular  issued  by, 

297,   298. 

Peck,   George,   92. 
Pembroke,  Earl  of,  44. 
Penny  postage.     See  Foreign  letter 

postage. 

Penrose,  Boies,  27. 
Perez,  Admiral  (Chile),  464. 
Perkins,  George  C.,  473. 
Perkins,  George  W.,  412. 
Persia,    Shah    of.      See    Mohammed 

AH. 

Peter  the  Great,  301. 
Peter  Nicolaievitch,  Grand  Duchess 

(Princes  Melitza  of  Montenegro), 

342  and  n.,  349. 
Peter    Nicolaievitch,    Grand    Duke, 

342  n. 

Peter  and  Paul,  Saints,  296. 
Peterhof,  301,  302. 
Peters,  Richard,  94. 
Philippe,     French     spiritualist,    342 

and  n. 
Philippine        Islands,        Archbishop 

Chappelle  on,  40,  41,  42;  the  "key 

to   the    Orient,"   41;   MacArthur's 

report  on,  42,  43;  and  Japan,  339, 

340. 

Phillips,  William,  388. 
Pichon,  M.,  quoted,  323. 
Piedmont,  Prince  of,  birth  of,  and 

its   consequence,   100;   107. 
Pierre  Nicolaievitch,  Grand  Duchess, 

260. 
Pierre    Nicolaievitch,    Grand    Duke, 

260. 

Piles,  Samuel  H.,  471. 
Pillsbury,  John   E.,   U.   S.   N.,  464. 
Pinchot,     Gifford,     his     controversy 


546 


INDEX 


with  Sec'y  Ballinger,  M.'s  view  of, 
445;  222,  420. 

Pinchot,  Mrs.  Gifford,  420. 

Pinola  Shoals,  474,  475. 

Pio,  Prince  of  Savoy,  144. 

Pisano,  La,  meet  of  hounds  at,  83. 

Pius  X,  M.'s  audience  with,  135;  80, 
107,  401. 

Pless,  Princess  Daisy  von,  86,  486. 

Plessen,  General  von,  88,  215,  497, 
500. 

Pobedonostzeff,  M.,  evil  influence  of, 
155. 

Poklewski,  M.,  384. 

Poland,  conditions  in,  150. 

Polk,  James  K.,  4. 

Port  Arthur,  attacked  by  Japanese, 
84;  194. 

Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  doubt  as  to  suc 
cess  of  pourparlers  at,  194;  their 
progress,  195;  peace  between  Rus 
sia  and  Japan  concluded  at,  197, 
205;  M.'s  part  in  result,  197;  M.'s 
interview  with  Tsar  concerning 
terms,  197  ft.;  Iswolsky  on  per 
forming  terms  of  treaty,  334,  335 ; 
498. 

Post  Office  Department  of  the  U.  S., 
M.  assumes  charge  of,  354;  his 
first  Annual  Report,  364;  his  pro 
gramme  of  improvements,  366  f.; 
his  methods  of  daily  work,  369, 370 ; 
M.,  on  administration  of,  372;  his 
second  Annual  Report,  413;  and 
Navy  Dep't,  problems  of,  com 
pared,  423. 

Post  offices,  display  of  signs  on,  409. 

Postal  matters,  question  of  instruc 
tion  on,  in  school,  407,  408. 

Postal-savings-bank  system,  M.'s  ef 
forts  to  establish,  367,  368,  369; 
recommended  by  Roosevelt,  375; 
opposed  by  Cannon,  376,  377;  386, 
387,  390,  393,  394,  396,  397,  412, 
418,  470. 

Postmaster  General,  M.  suggests 
change  of  title  for,  355,  366,  367. 
And  see  Post  Office  Department. 

Postmasters,  Fourth  Class,  in  certain 
states,  put  on  civil  service  list, 
413. 

"Posts,  Secretary  of."  See  Post 
master  General. 


Potemkin,  Prince,  273. 

Potemkin,    battleship.     See    Knydz- 

Potemkin. 
Potocki,    Count,    his    estate    (Anto- 

niny)    in   Volhynia,  313-315,   316; 

290. 
Potsdam,  M.'s  interview  with  Kaiser 

at,  228-230. 

Potter,  William  P.,  U.  S.  N.,  468. 
Poyer,  J.  M.,  U.  S.  N.,  467. 
Prescott,  William  H.,  19. 
Prinetti,  Signer,  and  the  Venezuela 

affair,  65;  56. 

Provident  Institution  of  Savings,  12. 
Prussia,    conscript    system    in,    340, 

341.     And  see  Germany. 
Puget  Sound,  dock  at,  474,  476. 
Puget    Sound    Traction,    Light    and 

Power  Co.,  12. 
Puglie,  Duke  of,  103. 

Quirinal    Palace,    garden    party    at, 
55,  56;   45,  46,   48. 

Raccogiovini,  Marquis,  51. 
Radowitz,  Herr  von,  247. 
Rampolla,  Cardmal,  56,  57,  70. 
Ramsay,  Baronj^52,  331,  335  n. 
Ramsay,  Baronlss,  209,  243,  252,  254, 

335  n. 
Rasputin,  monk,  murde^*  of,   310  n, 


Rechid  Bey,  123,  128. 

Reid,  Jean,  223. 

Reid,  Whitelaw,   gives   dinner-party 

for  M.   (1911),  483,  485;  223,  347, 

391  and  n.,  486. 
Republican        insurgents         (1912), 

488. 
Republican       National       Committee 

(1908),  rumour  that  M.  is  to  be 

chairman    of,    292,    293;    91,    379, 

488. 
Republican      National      Convention 

(1904),    nominates    Roosevelt,    90, 

93,  94;    (1908),  397,  398;    (1916), 

514. 
Republican   Party,  M.'s   prominence 

in,  27;  local  fights  in  (1908),  410; 

meets  disaster  in  1912,  489;   long 

tenure  of  office,  493. 
Republican    platform    of    1908,    re 

vised  by  Roosevelt,  394;  396. 


INDEX 


547 


•Republican  State  Central  Commit 
tee  (Mass.),  26. 

Republican  State  Convention 
(Mass.)  in  April,  1908,  M.  chair 
man  of,  387,  388;  praises  M.  for 
his  share  in  Russo-Japanese  set 
tlement,  388;  expresses  no  prefer 
ence  for  presidential  candidates, 
388. 

Restigouche,  salmon-fishing  on  the, 
364,  399. 

Revelstoke,  Lord,  44. 

Review  of  Reviews  (English),  205, 
340. 

Rhode  Island,  attitude  of,  on  tariff, 
443. 

Ricevimento  (official  ambassadorial 
reception),  given  by  M.,  34,  35; 
a  court  function,  35;  47,  48,  66. 

Ristori,  Mme.,  71. 

Robespierre,    Maximilian,    234. 

Robins,  Miss,   177. 

Robinson,  Charles  L.  F.,  59,  60,  61, 
177. 

Robinson,'  Mrs.   C.  L.   F.,   177. 

Hobinson,  Douglas,  359,  384. 

Robinson,  Mrs.  Douglas,  359. 

Rock  Maple  Farm,  15. 

Hodd,  Sir  Rennell,  64,  and  n.,  65, 
67,  411  and  n. 

Rodd,  Lady,  67,  411. 

Rodgers,  C.  R.  P.,  U.  S.  N.,  marries 
Alice  Meyer,  517;  13,  502. 

Rodjestvensky,  Admiral,  104,  105, 
144,  149,  184,  207,  385. 

Rogers,  Eustace  B.,  U.  S.  N.,  469. 

Roman  Campagna,  hunting  on,  37, 
79,  80,  81,  82. 

Romanoff  dynasty  in  peril,  193. 

Home,  M.'s  arrival  at,  32;  Grand 
Hotel,  32,  33;  M.'s  diary  and  Ro 
man  society,  36;  visit  of  Edward 
VII  to  67-69,  and  of  the  Kaiser, 
69-72;  contrast  between  St.  Peters 
burg  and,  136;  M.'s  farewell  to, 
136;  his  admiration  for,  343. 
And  see  Brancaccio  Palazzo. 

Roosevelt,  Alice  Lee,  94,  95,  222. 
And  see  Longworth,  Mrs.  Alice 
(Roosevelt). 

Roosevelt,  Mrs.  Edith  (Carow),  94, 
219,  222,  357,  362,  388,  400,  403, 
406,  420,  421,  425,  428,  429,  437, 
466,  470. 


Roosevelt,  Ethel,  400. 

Roosevelt,  Kermit,  391,  401,  440, 
465,  470. 

Roosevelt,  Theodore,  nominated  for 
Vice-President,  27;  suggested  as 
arbitrator  in  Venezuela  affair,  65; 
nominated  for  President,  90;  in 
sists  on  Cortelyou  for  Chairman 
of  National  Committee,  92,  93; 
proposes  to  take  M.  into  Cabinet, 
95;  elected  President,  105;  wishes 
M.  to  go  to  Russia,  108,  109,  110; 
his  interest  in  Far  Eastern  situa 
tion,  110,  111;  his  opinion  of  M., 
Ill;  appoints  M.  Ambassador  to 
Russia,  128;  through  M.,  offers 
good  offices  to  Tsar,  145,  146; 
instructs  M.  to  suggest  meeting 
of  plenipotentaries  to  arrange 
terms  of  peace,  156,  157;  his  char 
acter,  as  outlined  by  M.  to  the 
Tsar,  159;  his  public  invitation  to 
Russia  and  Japan  to  meet,  164; 
announces  their  agreement  to  send 
plenipotentaries,  175;  his  speech 
at  Harvard  Commencement,  1905, 
183;  on  M.'s  work  at  St.  Peters 
burg,  184,  219;  receives  plenipo 
tentaries  on  Mayflower,  190,  191; 
his  toast  on  that  occasion,  191, 
192;  applauded  by  the  world  for 
bringing  about  conference  at 
Portsmouth,  197;  his  own  Minis 
ter  of  Foreign  Affairs,  210,  211; 
Kaiser  suggests  him  as  mediator, 
213;  wishes  to  have  M.  in  Cabinet, 
220;  urges  him  to  return  to  St. 
Petersburg,  221,  222;  joys  of 
walking  with,  222;  his  message  to 
the  Tsar,  223;  looked  to  as  medi 
ator  in  case  of  deadlock  at  Alge- 
ciras,  264;  attacks  muckraking 
magazines,  272;  suggests  limiting 
size  of  individual  fortunes,  273; 
correspondence  with  Kaiser 
about  Morocco,  284;  wishes  M.  to 
remain  in  Russia,  301;  on  M.'s 
achievement  and  prospects,  304,-305, 
325,  357,  358,  363;  changes  in  his 
Cabinet,  M.  Postmaster  General, 
322,  323,  324;  his  "  Gouverneur 
Morris,"  and  events  in  Russia,  327, 
328;  Edward  VII  on,  350;  walk 
ing,  riding,  and  tennis  with,  354, 


548 


INDEX 


356;  takes  risks  in  jumping,  357, 
358;  never  wavered  in  his  purpose 
to  retire  in  1909,  358;  M.  induces 
him  to  promise  not  to  commit 
himself  for  all  time,  358;  on  naval 
preparations  for  war  with  Japan, 
362,  363;  proposes  to  raise  corps 
of  riflemen,  363;  M.  and  Taft  at 
Oyster  Bay,  364-366;  on  prospects 
of  Taft's  nomination,  365;  on  the 
projected  round-the-world  jour 
ney  of  the  fleet,  366 ;  on  the  politi 
cal  situation,  373;  on  the  pos 
sibility  of  accepting  another  nomi 
nation,  373;  his  annual  message 
of  1907,  375;  letter  to  Cortelyou 
on  method  of  relieving  financial 
conditions,  375,  376 ;  his  "  stunts  " 
in  walking,  371,  381,  382;  his 
playfulness,  377,  378;  advised  by 
M.  to  issue  definitive  statement  as 
to  candidacy  (1908),  379,380;  ef 
fect  of  his  statement,  308 ;  quoted, 
as  to  his  plans  on  retirement,  381, 
382;  on  the  Japanese  situation, 
384;  his  confidential  instructions 
to  Admiral  Evans,  384,  385;  reads 
his  message  to  Cabinet,  385;  his 
policy  toward  anarchistic  publica 
tions,  386;  his  name  applauded  for 
49  minutes  at  Convention  of  1908, 
398;  on  Congress,  390;  reconciled 
to  retirement,  391;  M.'s  talk  with 
on  "  running "  Taft's  campaign, 
392-394;  life  at  Oyster  Bay,  400; 
plans  for  African  trip,  400,  401; 
arrangement  with  Scribner's 
Magazine,  and  with  the  Outlook, 
401;  his  interview  urging  Taft's 
election,  402,  403;  Gov.  Haskell 
(Okla.)  and  W.  J.  Bryan,  403, 
404,  405,  406;  and  the  Harvard 
footballers,  404;  on  Bosnia  and 
Herzegovina  and  the  Servians, 
410;  on  Great  Britain  and  Tur 
key,  410;  and  Sir  R.  Rodd,  411;  on 
M.'s  qualifications  for  Sec'y  of  the 
Treasury,  412;  puts  Fourth  Class 
postmasters  on  civil  service  list  in 
certain  states,  413;  on  Taft's 
choice  of  M.  for  Sec'y  of  Navy, 
413;  on  discrimination  against 
Japanese  in  California,  415,  416, 


and  Nevada,  416;  on  his  inviting 
Booker  Washington  to  lunch,  416; 
vetoes  bill  relating  to  desertions 
from  the  Navy,  417;  furious  with 
the  "peace  crowd,"  417;  his  last 
reception  at  the  White  House, 
419;  M.  on  his  administration, 
419;  his  views  on  location  of  fleet, 
419,  420;  gives  luncheon  to  "Ten 
nis  Cabinet,"  etc.,  420;  his  fare 
well  to  his  Cabinet,  420,  421;  fre 
quent  changes  in  head  of  Navy 
Dep't  during  his  term,  422;  his 
last  moments  in  Washington,  424; 
farewell  to  his  friends,  425;  at 
Oyster  Bay,  after  leaving  office, 
428,  429;  Jusserand  on,  431;  in 
terest  in  his  African  trip,  440; 
his  letters  to  Congress  on  organi 
zation  of  Navy  Dep't,  466,  467; 
and  the  campaign  of  1912,  487  f.; 
M.  opposed  to  his  candidacy,  487, 
but  offers  to  resign  and  support 
him,  487;  M.  favors  his  nomina 
tion  against  Wilson  in  1916,  513, 
514,  and  leads  movement  in  that 
direction,  515;  his  letter  to  Mrs. 
Meyer  on  M.'s  death,  519;  2,  62, 
63,  67,  76,  86,  89,  100,  107,  115, 
116,  119,  130,  136,  137,  163,  172, 
173,  176,  177,  180,  192  n..  195,  196, 
206,  209,  216,  218,  229,  231,  243, 
244,  251,  256,  268,  295,  296,  331, 
332,  334,  339,  341,  343,  344,  346, 
351,  352,  353,  355,  359,  360,  361, 
368,  371,  372,  374,  377,  388,  389, 
396,  409,  432,  437,  445,  446,  460, 
511.  Letters  of  M.  to,  111,  116, 
121,  124,  125,  132,  145,  149,  154, 
157,  167,  173,  181,  187,  192,  193, 
203,  209,  233,  246,  263,  285,  306, 
371,  437,  462,  465. 

Roosevelt,  Theodore,  Jr.,  401,  404, 
429. 

Roosevelt  Republican  Club,  515. 

Root,  Elihu,  on  relations  of  U.  S. 
and  Japan,  365,  370,  371;  why  he 
was  the  greatest  secretary,  373, 
374;  advises  Roosevelt  to  issue 
statement  as  to  his  candidacy  in 
1908,  380;  on  the  U.  S.  senator- 
ship  from  N.  Y.,  382;  treaties 
with  Colombia  and  Panama,  414, 


INDEX 


549 


415;  nominated  for  U.  S.  Senator, 
414;  Roosevelt  on,  414;  negotiates 
fisheries  treaty  with  Great  Britain 
and  Canada,  415;  his  speech  at 
dinner  to  Pres.  Eliot,  429,  430; 
on  Taft's  title  as  Republican  can 
didate  in  1912,  488;  92,  93,  187, 
219,  220,  221,  222,  223,  224, 
231,  243,  247,  255,  346,  354,  357, 
375,  376,  381,  382,  384,  389,  390, 
397,  401,  406,  410,  417,  443;  letter 
of  M.  to,  238. 

Rosebery,  Earl  of,  44,  485. 

Rosen,  Baron,  153,  170,  172,  194, 
219,  335,  415. 

Rosen,  Baroness,  153. 

Roukavichnikow,  M.,  123. 

Rouvier,  Maurice,  on  war  between 
France  and  Germany,  209;  on  af 
fairs  in  Russia,  224;  on  Roosevelt, 
224;  216,  217,  227,  231,  256. 

Ruby,  M.'s  horse,  79,  80. 

Rudini,  Marquis,  116. 

Rudini,  Mme.,  71. 

Russ,  The,  St.  Petersburg  newspa 
per,  suppressed,  174. 

Russia,  Japan  breaks  relations  with, 
83;  her  game  of  procrastination, 
83;  Victor  Emmanuel  III  on  cor 
ruption  in,  90,  122;  Roosevelt  on 
importance  of  U.  S.  mission  to, 
110,  111;  M.  accepts  post  of  Am 
bassador  to,  112;  Germany  and 
the  Russian  loan,  114;  serious 
condition  of  affairs  in,  116,  117; 
alliance  of  France  with,  117,  121, 
185;  Barrere  on  course  of,  117, 
118;  Bernoff  and  St.  James  on 
disturbances  in,  119,  120;  the  loan 
of  1905,  121;  general  confusion  in, 
123;  Sir  E.  Egerton  on,  124;  Vic 
tor  Emmanuel  III  on  probable  un 
derstanding  of,  with  Germany, 
122,  126;  changed  feeling  of 
French  diplomats  toward,  127, 
128;  M.  appointed  Ambassador 
to,  128;  Victor  Emmanuel  III  on 
his  experiences  in,  128,  129;  M.'s 
arrival  in,  and  first  impressions, 
139,  140;  confused  state  of  affairs 
in,  on  his  arrival,  144,  145;  lack 
of  real  leaders,  144;  cordiality  of 
M.'s  reception,  144,  145;  "lack  of 


administration,"  150;  lack  of  sys 
tem  in  War  Dep't,  150;  conditions 
in,  described  in  letter  to  Roose 
velt,  154-156;  corruption  in  Navy 
Dep't,  and  its  result,  154,  155; 
and  exports  from  U.  S.,  155,  156; 
provisions  of  treaty  with  Ger 
many,  156;  internal  affairs  of, 
160;  invited  by  R.  to  send  repre 
sentatives  to  discuss  peace,  164; 
press  rumours  as  to  her  purpose, 
165;  her  formal  acceptance,  165; 
would  have  conference  held  at 
The  Hague,  166  and  n.,  167; 
grave  state  of,  171,  178;  her  ple 
nipotentiaries  at  peace  conference, 
172;  bureaucracy  frustrates  Tsar's 
good  intentions,  173,  174;  illiter 
acy  in,  174,  196;  what  is  needed 
in,  179;  effect  of  Witte's  ap 
pointment  as  first  plenipotentiary, 
182;  and  the  war,  184;  conditions 
of  her  fleet,  184;  rumours  of  agree 
ment  with  Germany,  185  and  n.; 
war  party  still  existent,  189,  190; 
state  of  affairs  in,  190;  proposed 
commercial  convention  with  U.  S., 
190;  conference  at  Peterhof  re 
sults  in  Tsar's  decision  to  grant 
national  assembly,  192,  193;  fears 
alliance  of  Scandinavian  coun 
tries,  186;  her  attitude  in  pay 
ment  of  indemnity,  194;  Tsar  an 
nounces  plan  for  national  assem 
bly — a  great  event  in  her  history, 
195;  Russian  opinion  of  M.'s  part 
in  conclusion  of  peace,  197;  feel 
ing  in,  concerning  terms  of  peace, 
201,  206,  208,  210;  her  attitude 
toward  peace  influenced  by  her 
idea  of  Japan's  financial  condi 
tion,  204;  weakness  of,  209;  Lans- 
downe  and  others  on  affairs  in, 
223,  224,  225,  226;  acts  of  Social 
ists  in,  225;  von  Billow  on  her 
needs,  227;  Kaiser  on  gravity  of 
conditions  in,  229;  revolutionary 
disturbances,  230;  conditions  in, 
described  by  M.,  231,  232;  aim  of 
Socialist  and  labor  unions  in,  231; 
difficult  financial  condition  of, 
231,  232;  strike-leaders  arrested, 
233;  conditions  compared  to  those 


550 


INDEX 


in  France  in  1789,  233,  234,  241; 
corruption  in  navy,  234;  insubor 
dination  in  army  at  many  places, 
234;  period  of  reaction,  234,  235, 
236;  "an  extraordinary  country," 
236;  participation  of  Jews  in  dis 
turbances,  239;  disorder  general 
throughout  empire,  239;  disturb 
ing  factors  to  be  reckoned  with, 
239,  240;  weakness  and  incompe- 
tency  of  government,  240;  her 
moral  support  at  Algeciras  sought 
by  France,  243,  246;  bear-hunting 
in,  248-251;  object  of  organizers 
of  disturbances,  251;  agrarian 
troubles  in,  256,  257;  rumour  of 
secret  treaty  with  China,  257;  how 
concerned  in  outcome  at  Alge 
ciras,  Lamsdorff's  instructions  to 
Cassini,  and  the  French  alliance, 
268;  home  celebration  of  Easter 
in,  271;  relations  with  Great 
Britain  compromised  by  Times' 
correspondent,  274;  a  great 
awakening  in,  282;  entering  on  a 
great  experiment,  ill-prepared 
and  uneducated,  286;  M.'s  pessi 
mistic  view  of  her  future,  287, 
288;  probability  of  collision  be 
tween  Crown  and  Duma,  288; 
doubts  as  to  loyalty  of  the  army, 
288;  Iswolsky  and  Goremykin  on 
the  situation,  291,  292;  corruption 
of  bureaucracy,  297;  lack  of  lead 
ers,  297,  307;  d'Aehrenthal  on 
situation,  298;  prejudice  against 
Jews  in,  302;  great  mass  of  her 
people  not  much  superior  to  ani 
mals,  306,  307;  revolutionists  fail 
to  grasp  the  situation,  307;  Sir 
D.  M.  Wallace  on  affairs  in,  309; 
signs  of  reaction,  309,  310;  one 
good  road  in,  320;  outward  aspect 
of  affairs  as  seen  by  M.  in  his 
travels,  321;  conditions  "im 
proved,  but  not  perfect,"  329; 
acts  of  terrorists,  329;  Iswolsky 
on  conditions  in,  333  f.;  negotia 
tions  with  Japan,  334,  335;  M.'s 
farewell  to,  335,  336;  Kaiser  on 
her  relations  with  China  and 
Japan,  339;  and  Germany,  340; 
M.'s  view  of  affairs  in,  349;  and 


the  integrity  of  China,  384;  in, 
1913,  493;  M.  on  past  misrule  in, 
511.  And  see  Council  of  Empire, 
Duma,  Lamsdorff,  Nicolas  II, 
Portsmouth,  Russo-Japanese  War. 

"  Russia  for  Russians,"  society  in 
Odessa,  317. 

Russian  Imperial  stables,  266. 

Russian  officers  offer  services  to  U. 
S.  in  case  of  war  with  Japan, 
377. 

Russian  Navy,  454. 

Russians,  character  of,  279;  their 
incapacity  as  mariners,  295. 

Russo-Japanese  War:  preliminary 
rumblings  of,  81,  82;  Japan  at 
tacks  Port  Arthur,  84;  probable 
defeat  of  Russia,  90;  defeat  of 
Russian  fleet,  151,  152,  153;  pro 
posed  armistice,  175,  176;  Kaiser 
on  commercial  results  of,  213,  214; 
naval  lessons  of,  454;  114,  129, 
133,  254,  255,  498.  And  see  Ja 
pan,  Portsmouth,  Russia. 

Sagamore  Hill,  428. 

St.  James,  Commandant,  on  disturb 
ances  in  Russia,  120,  121. 

St.  Louis  Exposition:  question  of 
Italian  representation  at,  72, 
73. 

St.  Peter's,  celebration  of  Immacu 
late  Conception  at,  107,  108. 

St.     Petersburg,     great     strike     in, 

115,  116;    troops   fire   on   crowds, 

116,  117;  Trepoff,  Governor  Gen 
eral,  his   character,   117;   contrast 
between  Rome   and,  136;   seat  of 
autocracy  at  its  worst,  136;  M.'s 
arrival   and   first    days,   139,   140; 
his  welcome  by  society,  146,  147; 
conditions    in,    154;    practically    a 
bureaucratic    city,    188;    not    en 
thusiastic   over   plan    for   national 
assembly,    196;    effect   of   conclu 
sion  of  peace,  210;  service  at  St. 
Isaac's     Cathedral     in    honor    of 
Tsar's    name-day,    233;    ballet   at, 
236;    Christmas    in     (1905),    236; 
stories  of  hooligans  in,  237;  elec 
tion   in,   carried   by   Cadets,   267; 
Easter     midnight     mass     at     St. 
Isaac's  270,  271;   Easter  in,  271; 


INDEX 


551 


Tre"pofPs  government  of,  275; 
opening  of  Duma  at,  278-281; 
bomb-throwing  and  robbery  in, 
322. 

Sakhaline  Island,  attacked  by  Ja 
pan,  179,  180;  division  of,  199,  200 
and  n.;  payment  to  Japan  for 
northern  half  of,  200,  202,  203, 
204;  feeling  in  Russia  about,  20G; 
Roosevelt's  message  to  Tsar  on, 
223,  254. 

Salisbury,  Marquis  of,  75. 

Saltonstall,  Frances,  marries  George 
von  L.  Meyer,  Jr.,  517. 

San  Diego,  473,  476. 

San  Domingo,  treaty  with  U.  S. 
256,  428. 

San  Francisco,  M.'s  visit  to,  473- 
475. 

San  Martino,  Baron  di,  102,  103. 

San  Martino,  Baroness  di,  102,  103. 

San  Rossore,  76,  77. 

San    Salvador   and   Nicaragua,   427. 

Santa  Clans,  M.'s  order  concerning 
letters  addressed  to,  378,  379. 

Santiago  de  Cuba,  480,  481. 

Sarajevo,  murder  of  Archduke 
Francis  Ferdinand  and  his  wife 
at,  504. 

Saranoff,  M.,  87. 

Savinsky,  M.,  274. 

Saxe-Weimar,  Grand  Duke  of,  61. 

Scheibler,  Count,  207. 

Schevitch,  M.,  336  n, 

Schirimitew  estate  destroyed,  297. 

Schoen,  Baron  von,  246,  247,  252, 
254,  255,  261,  278,  289;  294,  298, 
302,  303,  328,  338. 

Schoen,  Baroness  von,  289. 

Schwab,  Charles  M.,  in  Russia,  150, 
151. 

Scribner's  Magazine,  Roosevelt 
agrees  to  write  on  his  African  trip 
for,  401;  204,  465. 

Scull,  Guy,  273. 

Sebastopol,  visited  by  M.,  319,  320; 
attempted  revolution  at,  319. 

Seiden,  Admiral  von,  98. 

Senate  of  U.  S.,  confirms  M.'s  ap 
pointment  to  Italy,  30;  refuses  to 
allow  Hay  to  accept  French  deco 
ration,  431;  passes  Payne-Aldrich 
tariff  bill,  436,  440. 


Senden-Bibran,  Admiral  von,  84. 

S<§rebriakoffs,  335  n. 

Serge,  Grand  Duke,  murder  of,  123; 
128,  276. 

Serge,  Grand  Duchess.  See  Eliza 
beth,  Princess  of  Hesse. 

Sermoneta,  Duchess  of,  123. 

Sermoneta,  Duke  of,  132. 

Servians,  distrusted  by  Roosevelt, 
410. 

Seymour,  Sir  Edward,  R.  N.,  464, 
485. 

Sheldon,  George,  96,  222. 

Sheridan,  Philip  H.,  402. 

Sherman,  James  S.,  nominated  for 
Vice-President,  396  n.;  424,  425, 
426. 

Sherman,  Mrs.  James  S.,  426. 

Sherman  Anti-Trust  Act:  Wicker- 
sham  on  enforcement  of,  432. 

Shipyards,  commercial,  how  or 
ganized,  438. 

Sims,  William  S.,  U.  S.  N.,  "  of  gun- 
practice  fame,"  favors  board  of 
military  experts  to  act  as  critics 
of  naval  designs,  436;  on  M.'s  ad 
ministration  of  Navy  Dep't,  458, 
459;  reprimanded  by  Pres.  Taft, 
through  M.,  458  n. 

Sixth  Congressional  District 
(Mass.),  M.  and  the  Republican 
nomination  in,  27  f. 

Skrydloff,  Admiral,  319. 

Smith,  Charles  Emory,  93. 

Smith,  Roland  Cotton,  51,  406,  420, 

Smith,  Roy  C.,  U.  S.  N.,  224,  244, 
245,  467. 

Smith,  George  E.,  388. 

Smithers,  Count  von,  98. 

Socialist  publications.  See  Pater- 
son. 

Socialists,  German,  in  Russia,  332; 
losses  of,  in  elections  of  1907,  338. 

Socialists,  Italian,  demonstrations 
by,  after  birth  of  heir  to  throne, 
104. 

Socialists,  Russian,  an  the  Tsar's 
ukase  concerning  division  of 
Crown  lands,  225;  aim  of,  231; 
admirable  organization  of,  234, 
235. 

Somaglia,  Countess,  71. 

Somssich,  Count,  90,  125,  486. 


552 


INDEX 


Somssich,     Countess,  90,  125,  486. 
Sonnino,  Baron  Sidney,  46. 
Sonnino,  Prince,  81,  82. 
Sonnino,  Princess,  71. 
Sophie,   Crown   Princess  of   Greece, 

214,  215,  218. 
Sorchon,  Victor,  486. 
Spaulding,  Mr.,  473. 
Speck    von    Sternberg,    Baron,    339 

and  n.;  366,  386. 

Sperry,  Charles  S.,  U.  S.  N.,  432. 
Spoleto,  Duke  of,  103. 
Spooner,  John  C.,  92. 
Spring-Rice,  Sir  Cecil  A.,  suspicious 
of   Kaiser,   127;    on    the   Morocco 
question,   256;    fears   embroilment 
of  Germany  and  France,  256;  111, 
125,  208,   209,  223,  224,   236,  246, 
278. 

Standard  Oil  Co.,  403. 
Staunton,  S.  A.,  U.  S.  N.,  467. 
Stead,    William    T.,    205,    206,    208, 

340,  344. 

Steed,  H.  Wickham,  46  and  n. 
Stolypin,  M.,  becomes  Prime  Minis 
ter,   301;    attempted   assassination 
of,  305  and  n.,  306;  his  firmness, 
310. 

Stone,  Melville  E.,  205. 
Storrow,  James  J.,  96. 
Story,  Marion,  59. 
Story,  Mrs.  Marion,  59. 
Story,  Waldo,  64. 
Straus,  Oscar  S.,  322,  373,  397,  405, 

406. 
Strike,  general  (Russia),  failure  of, 

303. 

Stumm,  Herr  von,  301,  313. 
Sturgis,  Francis  S.,  7  and  n. 
Subig  Bay,  362. 
Submarines,  394. 
Sutherland,  Duchess  of,  68. 
Swanson,  Claude  A.,  361. 
Sweden  and  Norway,  probable   dis 
solution  of  union  of,  186. 
Swift,  William,  U.  S.  N.,  467,  468. 
Swift    Board     (Navy    Dep't),    453, 

466. 

Swinderen,  Mr.  von,  360. 
Swinderen,  Mrs.  von,  360. 
Sysran,     destroyed     by     fire,     299, 
300. 


Szechenyi,    Countess    Gladys    (Van- 

derbilt),  505. 

Szecsen,  Count,  83  and  n.;  90. 
Szecsen,  Countess,  90. 

Taft,  Charles  P.,  426. 
Taft,  William  H.,  at  home  in  1901, 
57,  58;  M.'s  impression  of,  57;  on 
M.  as  administrator,  355;  Roose 
velt  on  prospects  of  his  nomina 
tion  in  1908,  365;  opposition  of 
reactionaries,  385;  strong  senti 
ment  for,  in  Mass.,  387;  proposed 
trip  to  Panama,  389;  and  Gen. 
Grant,  391;  M.  suggested  as  the 
man  to  "  run  "  his  campaign,  392, 
393,  394;  nominated  on  first  bal 
lot,  398;  in  the  campaign,  399; 
Roosevelt  urges  his  election,  402, 
403;  his  prospects  of  election,  410; 
his  Unitarianism  a  source  of 
prejudice,  410,  411;  elected,  412; 
forming  his  Cabinet,  412,  413;  M. 
for  Navy  Dep't.,  413,  414,  418, 
with  Winthrop  as  Assistant  Sec'y, 
419;  his  inauguration,  424-26;  in 
augural  address,  425;  first  meeting 
of  Cabinet,  426,  427;  at  the  din 
ner  to  Pres.  Eliot,  429,  430;  would 
have  an  inheritance  tax,  432;  his 
trip  to  Pittsburg,  etc.,  433; 
recommends  tax  on  income  of  cor 
porations,  434,  435,  438;  commit 
ted  to  reduction  of  army  and 
navy  appropriations,  439;  and 
Sunday  golf-playing,  441 ;  his  po 
sition  on  the  tariff,  442;  on  the 
work  of  conference  committee  on 
Payne-Aldrich  tariff  bill,  442, 
443;  turns  down  the  committee's 
report,  which  is  modified  to  suit 
him,  444;  lost  the  opportunity  to 
use  the  "big  stick,"  444,  445;  and 
the  Ballinger-Pinchot  controversy, 
445 ;  his  comment  on  the  "  salient 
points  "  of  M.'s  administration  of 
Navy  Dep't.,  450,  451;  and  naval 
appropriations,  466 ;  sentiment 
for,  in  California  (1912),  473,  and 
in  West  generally,  482;  in  the 
campaign  of  1912,  487  #\;  sup 
ported  by  M.,  487;  M.  on  his 
speech  of  acceptance,  488;  M.  and 


INDEX 


553 


Root  on  his  title  as  candidate, 
488;  his  defeat,  489;  2,  18,  41,  94, 
219,  220,  351,  364,  366,  374,  381, 
384,  396,  401,  418,  431,  432,  440, 
457,  458  n.,  479.  Letters  of  M.  to, 
454,  473,  482,  488. 

Taft,  Mrs.  Helen  (Herron),  394, 
424,  426,  489. 

Tagalog,  the,  40. 

Takahira,  Mr.,  223. 

Tampa  Electric  Co.,  12. 

Tariff,  Taft's  position  on,  442. 

Tariff  bill  of  1909  ( Payne- Aldrich), 
passed  by  Senate,  436;  work  of 
conference  committee  on,  442, 
443;  committee  how  made  up, 
443;  report  of  committee  modi 
fied  to  suit  Pres.  Taft,  444;  report 
accepted  by  House,  444. 

Tauride  Garden,  sessions  of  Duma 
held  in,  273,  275. 

Teano,  Princess,  68,  128. 

Telfener,  Counters,   123. 

Temps,  Le,  268. 

Tennis  at  the  White  House,  356. 

"Tennis  Cabinet,"  420. 

Terranova,  Duchess  of,  68. 

Thomas,  Leonard  M.,  67. 

Thompson,  Charles  T.,  182,  205,  207, 
273. 

Times,  The,  prejudices  of  Russian 
correspondent  of,  274. 

Timiriaseff,  M.,  on  commercial  treaty 
with  U.  S.,  190. 

Tirpitz,  Admiral  von,  74. 

Tittoni,  Signer,  79,  82,  106,  136. 

Togo,  Admiral,  153. 

Torpedoes,  experiments  with,  in 
1908,  395,  396. 

Tosno  (Russia),  shooting  at,  235. 

Tower,  Charlemagne,  84,  85,  126, 
330,  383,  389. 

Tower,  Mrs.  Charlemagne,  84,  86, 
497. 

Townsend,  Mrs.,  443. 

Tozzoni,  Count,  78. 

Trabia,  Princess,  68. 

Trauttmansdorff,  Count  Charles, 
152,  208. 

Trauttmansdorff,  Countess,  152,153, 
208. 

Travers,  Mrs.,  123. 

Trepoff,  General,  Governor  General 


of  St.  Petersburg,  117;  favors  re 
forms  and  a  national  assembly, 
193;  and  the  disturbances  in  St. 
Petersburg  in  1905,  275;  on  the 
Duma,  275;  326. 

Trepoff,  M.,  brother  of  General  T., 
326. 

Trigonia,  Countess,  56. 

Trinita,  Count  di,  67. 

Trinita,  Countess  di,  67,  128. 

Triple  Alliance,  Kaiser  charges  Ed 
ward  VII  with  trying  to  weaken, 
217. 

Trondhjem,  cathedral  at,  99. 

Troubetzkoy,  Princess,  261;  271,  278. 

Tsarskoe  Sel6:  M.'s  first  visit  to, 
141  f.;  reception  of  Diplomatic 
Corps  at,  244-246,  247;  requiem  in 
private  chapel  at,  259-261;  M.'s 
final  audience  with  Tsar  at,  330  ff. 

Tsu  Shima,  battle  of,  152,  153. 

Tucker,   Baron,  46. 

Turin,  Count  of,  41,  50  and  n.,  53, 
54,  55,  56,  57,  58,  63,  68,  69,  107. 

Turin:  unveiling  of  statue  of 
Prince  Amadeo  at,  53,  54;  Con- 
cours  Hippique  at,  58;  M.  visits 
Duke  of  Aosta  at,  101-104. 

Turkey,  Sultan  of,  429. 

Turkey  and  Macedonia:  proposed 
arbitration  between,  87;  and 
Great  Britain,  410;  Kaiser  on  dis 
advantages  of  her  annihilation, 
502. 

Union  of  Unions,  The,  aims  to  cap 
ture  Moscow,  238,  239. 

United  States,  proposed  as  arbi 
trator  between  Turkey  and  Mace 
donia,  87;  policy  of,  with  relation 
to  integrity  of  China  and  the 
Open  Door,  109,  113,  126;  feeling 
in  China  toward,  131;  exports 
from,  to  Russia,  155,  156;  Novoe 
Vremya  charges  secret  alliance 
between  Japan  and,  183;  pro 
posed  commercial  agreement  with 
Russia,  190;  discriminating  Rus 
sian  duties  against,  removed  by 
commercial  agreement,  194,  195; 
196;  disadvantageous  position  of 
Ambassador  of,  255;  Kaiser  on 
prospects  of  war  with  Japan,  339, 


554 


INDEX 


340;  Germany  her  natural  ally  in 
such  case,  340;  Germany  wishes 
to  form  close  ties  with,  350;  Root 
on  relations  with  Japan,  365,  370, 
371;  commercial  outlook  in,  not 
encouraging,  380;  chance  of 
trouble  with  Japan,  380;  M. 
urges  strict  neutrality  of,  in  early 
days  of  World  War,  511;  M.  a 
vigorous  critic  of  war  policy  of, 
511. 

Vaglia,  Euriglia   Ponzo,   78,  81. 

Vanderbilt,  Mrs.  Grace,  68,  69,  484. 

Vapahofsky,   M.,  330. 

Venezuela,  affairs  in,  89;  policy  of 
U.  S.  toward,  429;  107. 

Venezuela  affair   (1902),  65,  66. 

Venice,  difficulty  over  arrest  of  U. 
S.  officers  at,  52,  53;  picturesque 
spectacle  at,  72. 

Vesuvius  in  eruption,  270;  32. 

Vezey,  H.  Custis,  140. 

Victor  Emmanuel  II,  102,  103,  160. 

Victor  Emmanuel  III,  King  of 
Italy,  M.'s  first  audience  with,  33, 
34;  his  guard  and  household,  34; 
M.  introduces  motor  cars  to,  38, 
39;  quoted,  on  his  own  powers, 
40;  audiences  with,  45,  63,  64; 
opens  Parliament,  50;  on  Nelidow 
and  the  Tsar,  77,  78;  talks  on 
various  American  subjects,  89, 
and  on  the  Russo-Japanese  War, 
90;  his  speech  at  opening  of  Par 
liament,  107;  on  U.  S.  Navy  and 
Panama,  107;  his  popularity,  119; 
on  M.'s  appointment  to  Russia, 
122;  his  prophecy  as  to  relations 
of  Russia  and  U.  S.,  122;  on  his 
experiences  in  Russia,  128,  129; 
M.'s  farewell  audience  with,  134; 
gives  farewell  dinner  to  M.,  134; 
M.'s  audience  with,  in  1907,  341- 
344;  his  opinion  of  the  Tsar,  342; 
on  disarmament,  343;  on  Monte 
negrin  affairs,  343;  confers  deco 
ration  on  M.,  356;  32,  35,  37,  46, 
47,  48,  49,  52,  53,  54,  55,  56,  57, 
58,  68,  69,  70,  71,  72,  76,  79,  81, 
100,  108,  113,  133,  138,  160,  170, 
249,  270,  336,  387,  401. 

Victoria,  Queen,  33,  75,  217. 


Victoria-Louise,  Princess,  337  and  TO. 

Viscenti-Venosta,  Marquis  Emilio, 
33. 

Vivian,  Violet,  383. 

Vladimir,  Grand  Duchess,  on  af 
fairs  in  Russia,  225;  her  dinner 
parties,  289;  152,  207,  208,  283, 
310,  311,  335,  419. 

Vladimir,  Grand  Duke,  121,  152, 
187,  197,  198,  207,  225,  246,  262, 
274,  275,  283,  305,  311,  335,  415, 
4<  j.y. 

Volhynia,  conditions  in,  315. 

Vreeland,  C.  E.,  U.  S.  A.,  467. 

Wadsworth,  Wm.  Austin,  388. 

Wadsworth,  Mrs.  Wm.  Austin,  388. 

Wainwright,  Richard,  U.  S.  N.,  on 
M.'s  work  in  Navy  Dep't,  491- 
362,  468. 

Wallace,  Sir  Donald  M.,  Russia, 
303  and  n.;  on  affairs  in  Russia, 
309;  322. 

Walsh,  Thomas  F.,  93,  94. 

Walter  Baker  Co.,  12. 

War,  general  disinclination  among 
nations  to  become  involved  in 
(1906),  256. 

Warashoff,  M.,  271. 

Ward,  Aaron,  U.  S.  N.,  468. 

Wardwell,  J.  Otis,  387. 

Warlinsleku,  Countess,   84. 

Warpakhovsky,  M.,  336  TO. 

Warren,  Whitney,  91,  221,  and  n.. 
223,  484,  485. 

Warrington,  John,  402. 

Washington,  Booker  T.,  Roosevelt's 
invitation  to  him  to  lunch  at 
White  House,  a  mistake,  416,  420. 

Washington,  D.  C.,  first  chosen  as 
place  of  meeting  of  peace  confer 
ence  (1905),  166  and  n.,  167  f. 

Washington  Times,  392,  393. 

Watts,  Ethelbert,  140. 

Webster,  Daniel,  4. 

Wedel,  Count  von,  47,  49,  66. 

Wedel,  Countess  von,  505. 

Weightman,  Mr.,  479. 

Wellman,  Walter,  93. 

West   Point  cadets,  425. 

Westphalen,  Count,  302. 

Wetmore,  Charles,  91. 

Wheeler,  Benjamin  I.,  222. 


INDEX 


555 


Whishaw,  Mrs.,  236. 

White,  Andrew  D.,  M.'s  opinion  of, 
258,  259. 

White,  Henry,  succeeds  M.  at  Rome, 
119;  represents  U.  S.  at  Algeciras, 
269;  111,  133  and  n. 

Wickersham,  George  W.,  defines 
policy  of  Taft  administration  as 
to  trusts,  etc.,  432;  427,  431,  441, 
442,  443,  453,  464. 

Widener,  P.  A.  B.,  61,  62. 

William  II,  German  Emperor:  M.'s 
first  interview  with,  at  Kiel,  59  f  .; 
at  Rome  (1903),  69-72;  impres 
sion  produced  by,  70;  reception  to, 
at  the  Capitol,  71;  M.'s  second 
meeting  with  at  Kiel,  in  1903,  74, 
75;  talks  on  Russo-Japanese  War 
and  other  subjects,  84,  85;  and  the 
Russian  Ambassador,  86:  M^ 
dines  with,  on  the  Hohenzollern, 
at  Naples,  88;  luncheon  with,  on 
Hohenzollern,  described  by  Mrs. 
Meyer,  97-100;  M.'s  interview 
with,  in  February,  1905,  126,  127; 
on  the  neutrality  and  integrity  of 
China,  126;  his  suspicions  of  Del- 
casse",  126,  127;  his  feeling  toward 
Great  Britain,  127;  his  interview 
with  the  Tsar,  185  and  n.,  188, 
191;  his  private  correspondence 
with  the  Tsar,  199,  203;  on  Edward 
VII,  217,  218;  M.'s  further  im 
pressions  of,  218,  219;  M.'s  inter 
view  with,  at  Homburg  (Sept. 
1905),  211  f.;  how  he  prepared 
the  Tsar's  mind  for  peace,  212, 
213;  suggests  Roosevelt  as  medi 
ator,  213;  on  the  commercial  re 
sults  of  the  war,  213,  214;  on  the 
Morocco  dispute  and  Delcasse, 
216;  217;  visited  by  M.  at  Pots 
dam,  228-230;  on  affairs  in  Rus 
sia,  229;  on  British  feeling  toward 
Germany,  230;  his  amour  propre 
at  stake  at  Algeciras,  263;  his 
visit  to  Tangier  in  1905,  269;  and 
Italy,  272;  quotes  the  Tsar  on 
Roosevelt  and  M.,  284;  on  opti 
mism,  323,  324;  M*'s  interview 
with,  in  1907,  336  f .;  on  the  Ger 
man  elections,  338;  on  Russia  and 
China  and  Japan,  338,  339;  on 


the  prospect  of  war  between  Ja 
pan  and  U.  S.,  339,  340;  on  Ed 
ward  VII  and  Clemenceau,  339; 
Great  Britain  and  Franco-German 
relations,  339,  340;  on  disarma 
ment,  346 ;  and  the  "  yellow  peril," 
346;  would  furnish  us  with  a  base 
of  supplies  in  case  of  war  with 
Japan,  366;  and  the  supposititious 
Japanese  troops  in  Mexico,  383; 
sends  out  rumours  as  to  Japan's 
designs,  385;  desires  M.  as  Am 
bassador  to  Berlin,  386;  M.'s  last 
meeting  with,  in  1913,  495  f.; 
calls  M.  "  the  American  von  Tir- 
pitz,"  496  and  n.;  on  relations  be 
tween  Japan  and  U.  S.,  497;  on 
the  prestige  of  Ambassadors,  498; 
on  the  feeling  between  Great 
Britain  and  Germany,  498;  on 
Edward  VII  and  Sir.  E.  Grey, 
498,  499;  on  his  peaceful  reign, 
499;  on  the  increase  in  German 
army  and  navy,  499;  on  the 
British-Japanese  treaty,  499,  500; 
his  opinion  of  Ferdinand  of  Bul 
garia,  501;  shows  M.  his  maps  of 
the  Balkan  War,  502;  on  the  an 
nihilation  of  Turkey,  502;  did  he 
visit  Paris  incog.?,  503;  39,  42,  46, 
58,  73,  87,  89,  96,  133,  138,  142, 
143,  155,  160,  163,  164,  165,  177, 
186,  199,  226,  231,  243,  246,  247, 
262,  264,  328,  330,  343,  344,  350, 
354,  478. 

William,  German  Crown  Prince,  69, 
70,  71,  152,  212,  214,  215,  218. 

Wilson,  Sir  Arthur,  R.  N.,  470. 

Wilson,   Huntington,  443. 

Wilson,  James,  397,  409. 

Wilson,  Mrs.  Lucy,  443. 

Wilson,  Woodrow,  498,  510,  511,  513, 
515. 

Winslow,  Erving,  letter  of  M.  to, 
511. 

Winter  Palace,  St.  Petersburg, 
opening  of  Duma  at,  278-281,  285. 

Winterton,   Lord,   485. 

Winthrop,  Beekman,  221  and  n., 
378,  412,  417,  418,  443,  454. 

Winthrop,  Mrs.  Beekman,  443. 

Wirenius,  Admiral,  312,  313. 

Witherspoon,  Captain,  U.  S.  N.,  362. 


556 


INDEX 


Witte,  M.'s  impression  of,  181,  182; 
opposed  to  war  from  the  first, 
181,  182;  effect  of  his  appoint 
ment  as  first  plenipotentiary,  in 
Russia  and  abroad,  182,  184;  his 
view  of  his  task,  182;  favorable 
impression  of,  in  U.  S.,  192  and 
n.,  193,  196,  202;  between  two  fires, 
227;  lack  of  public  confidence  in, 
226;  fears  attempts  on  his  life, 
268;  nervous  about  his  future, 
268,  269;  resigns,  276,  277;  124, 
154,  155,  169,  180,  183,  186,  194, 
201,  208,  210,  220,  222,  231,  232, 
233,  234,  235,  239,  243,  254,  257, 
267,  274,  275. 

Witte,  Countess,  anecdote  of,  257, 
258,  274. 

Wolcott,  Roger,  26,  28. 

Wood,  Leonard,  U.  S.  A.,  67,  502, 
503,  517. 

Woronzow,   M.,  274. 

Worontzoff,  Countess,  335  n. 

Wrangel,  Count,  252,  484. 


\Vright,  Luke  E.,  404,  411,  425,  426, 

428. 

Wright,  State  Senator  (Calif.),  473. 
Wrights,    the,   pioneers   in   aviation, 

440,  444. 

Yale  Review,  512. 

Yalta,  Crimea,  320. 

Yolanda,  Margherita,  Princess,  41, 
78. 

Young,  S.  M.  B.,  U.  S.  A.,  403. 

Youssoupoff,  Prince,  his  palace  at 
St.  Petersburg,  276,  277;  his 
palace  at  Moscow,  325;  M.'s  hunt 
ing  expedition  with,  326,  327;  as 
a  host,  327;  310  and  n.,  335  n., 
505. 

Youssoupoff,  Princess,  277,  330, 
335  n. 

Yukki,  club  at,  251,  252,  254,  261, 
325. 

Zanardelli,  Signor,  55,  69,  78. 


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